


and much madness must make

by Yuesya



Category: One Piece
Genre: AU, Cannibalism via Big Mom, Canon What Canon, Charlotte Family Has Many Problems, Charlotte Family Problems, Charlotte!OC, Extended One-Shot, Gen, Moral Ambiguity, descriptions of violence, oc-insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-05-06 02:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuesya/pseuds/Yuesya
Summary: Being reborn in a chaotic fantasy world of superhuman pirates isn't quite as terrifying as being reborn the daughter of a heartless, gluttonous cannibal. [OC, AU]*Originally a one-shot, now extended.





	1. our useless tears red

**Author's Note:**

> Currently still in middle of writing the Whole Cake Island Arc as of 5.12.18. The fic originally started off as a one shot that later turned into... this.
> 
> Um, enjoy?
> 
> *Quick heads up: FFN updates will most likely be faster than AO3 ones.

.

Her first memory goes something like this:

Darkness. Then, light.

_"The child is born. I'm done with you."_

__

__

_"... monster. I don't care, our deal is over now. Do with it what you will."_

A shuffling sound, silken sheets sliding to the ground. Slight discomfort, being set down on a hard, rough surface. She squirms in confusion, a plaintive wail instinctively rising unbidden to her infant throat. But there is never a chance for her to scream; her voice dies promptly on her tongue, for there is a sudden chill that settles across the room.

She shivers.

_"Indeed, our deal is over now."_

The stillness of the air is suffocating in the three heartbeats of silence that follows.

_"What… what are you… Linlin? Linlin, stop! I- Charlotte! The fuck are you… stop, stop, STOAAAAAARGHHHHH–"_

A bloodcurling scream.

Then, red.

.

.

Charlotte Madeleine is born the twenty-sixth daughter of Big Mom. This is a lie. She is not a child, nor is she Charlotte Linlin's daughter.

… Except she is.

Except somehow, inconceivably, _impossibly_ –she is. She _is._

Her name is Charlotte Madeleine, and she is Big Mom's fifty-sixth child. Her first memory in this strange new world is of her mother devouring her father alive.

.

.

(In the years to come, Madeleine's rise to infamy is marked by the blood and carnage that is left in her wake. Out of all of Charlotte Linlin's children, it's Madeleine who gains a reputation for being the cruelest; ruthless and pragmatic, unquestioningly obedient to her mother's every order.

There is a reason for that.)

.

.

In her previous life, she was just a quiet bookworm. Office work, coffee runs. Life was simple, and all her small troubles were balanced out by small joys, day after day after day. Rinse and repeat. Monotonous, perhaps, but she was satisfied with the simplicity.

This is no longer the case.

Madeleine might not remember much about the fantastical storyline of a not-so-fictional world, but given that the very first thing she had seen in this world was _her own mother ripping apart her father's limbs before reaching up and–_

…

Big Mom is a monster. This is fact. Her children all respect her to varying degrees, but they are the same in their shared fear of their monstrous mother, Madeleine most of all.

She spends every waking day in terror, and every sleepless night wondering if she'll live to see the next day.

(There is the blood of a monster that runs in her veins. Madness. She idly wonders how long it will take before she finally snaps.

It won't be long.)

.

.

Madeleine is a quiet child, withdrawn and sullen, all jagged edges and tightly-drawn lips. It comes as no surprise that the girl is not very well-liked by the siblings her age, who can't fathom why she is always so grim and solemn all the time. A few of them are persistent in their efforts to befriend her because they are _family,_ but Madeleine couldn't care less about forming any sort of meaningful bonds with them. How can they possibly be so oblivious, be so blind?

Mama just finds it amusing.

"Maybe I should've named you Lemon," the woman likes to joke from time to time, lips curving up and widening in a slow, slow smile. "Hmm, now there's a good name! I'll save it for one of your future sisters."

"… Of course, Mama."

Madeleine doesn't dare to say anything even remotely contrary to her mother's words. She does not realize it at the time, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

.

.

All of Big Mom's children are put through basic training, to evaluate their potential and discover any unique talents. The woman laughs a full-bellied laugh when Madeleine far outstrips her siblings and shatters the learning curve like glass. This does not endear her to her siblings, but she doesn't _care._

The other children approach their lessons with playfulness and curiosity. Madeleine approaches it with fear and desperation, knowing that every extra little tidbit might be what she needs to _survive_ in this hellish world.

Her nightmares are still filled with the scorching burn of her father's blood and the cold gleam of her mother's teeth.

.

.

Sometimes, the younger children of the Charlotte Family like to throw tantrums. Complain. Sometimes, they'll run up to Mama saying, "So-and-so took my toys and won't let me play with them!" And Mama will listen to them indulgently, pat them on the head and tell them that they'd just need to be a little faster, a little smarter, a little stronger in protecting what belongs to them, right?

Right.

Every time Madeleine sees this, it never fails to make chills run down her spine. Because the way Mama pats her children is exactly the same as how a man might stroke a favored pet for performing an interesting trick.

… It's almost sad, how her children gradually learn to fight and compete amongst themselves, trying to outdo each other for their mother's attentions. To earn her favor, her approval.

(By this point, Madeleine has some seventy-odd siblings, and she's already long given up on trying to keep track of them all. It's not like she's on particularly good terms with any of them, anyways. They're either too old and too busy or too young and too jealous.)

Unlike her younger siblings, Madeleine never comes to Mama with any of her woes or troubles. Instead, she does her best to avoid approaching the madwoman under guise of training, and in the cases where an encounter is unavoidable, she is careful to go along with whatever Mama says and agree no matter what the whimsical demands might be.

Madeleine is a tender eleven years old when she burns a city to the ground for being unable to produce the required tribute of toffees to Big Mom. The incident leaves her bruised and bleeding with three broken ribs and a fractured leg, but anything is better than having to sit down in front of Big Mom and face her slow, slow smile and cruel, cruel displeasure.

Anything. _Anything._

.

.

(How much is something as fickle and fragile as _morals_ worth in a world that has absolutely no use for morals at all?

The answer to this is: Not very much. That is to say, _nothing._ )

.

.

From day one, Madeleine has had a vested disinterest in following her late father's footsteps, which is precisely the reason why she does anything she can to please her monstrous mother, to stay in her good graces. Mediocrity is meaningless, normalcy is worthless. The only path forwards is in being valuable enough to be a piece that Mama wants to keep on the playing board rather than discard with nary a thought.

She fears as much as she hates and hates as much as she fears, and though she knows that some would call her _fortunate_ for being born under Big Mom's protection in the perilous New World, Big Mom's protection comes with a price. Even as her child by blood, it comes with a price.

There is always a price.

.

.

This is Charlotte Madeleine:

Every order followed to the letter. Every command obeyed unquestioningly. Every plan executed flawlessly.

(The girl stops counting her kills somewhere in the early seventies. Kill number fifty-eight is exactly the same as number two hundred and thirty-one.)

Mama laughs, and laughs, and laughs.

"Good girl, Madeleine," she croons. "Such a good, sweet little girl."

She smiles blankly in response, and bows her head. Her hands no longer tremble anymore, but she is still terrified. The only thing that's changed over the years is that she's gotten better at hiding it.

"Yes, Mama."

.

.

(It is common knowledge amongst the Charlotte siblings that the reliable big brother Peros is ruled by his devotion to Mama, and the strongest brother Katakuri is ruled by his loyalty. Madeleine, on the other hand, is unanimously agreed upon to be governed by a singularly ironclad discipline.

Every training session over the years is endured silently, no matter how painful. Every order is always executed to perfection, no matter how suicidal–

_Lie._

Madeleine is guided by desperation, ruled by terror. It's all she's ever known since the day of her birth in this world.)

.

.

_I don't want to die._

.

.

"My favorite daughter," Mama likes to say, chuckling. "Sweet little Madeleine. You're lucky that you're my favorite."

.

.

In Big Mom's eyes, children are tools. All of the Charlotte siblings are fully aware of this. The useful ones are kept by Mama's side as her favorites, and the useless ones are generally used as marriage pieces to bring new alliances into the fold of the Big Mom Pirates. Win-win.

"If you had a choice," one of her many sisters suddenly asks her, "What kind of man would you want to marry?"

Madeleine almost misses the days when most of her siblings ignored her. Out of all of Big Mom's children, Lola is definitely the chattiest. The _loudest._ "… It will be as Mama deems appropriate."

In truth, Madeleine has no interest in marrying anyone. Even with the majority of her sisters being married off left and right, it's never really crossed her mind. Although, she has no doubt that she would simply quietly acquiesce to Mama's wishes if the whimsical woman suddenly decided to marry her off one day. There's no strength left in her to entertain the notion of resistance, if it had ever even existed in the first place. Just a vague tiredness, and resignation.

She's so very tired of being scared all the time. Seventeen years is a long time to be scared. She's tired, but she can't stop.

"Why are you asking me this?"

Lola is silent for a heartbeat. "I met my husband to-be today. Mama arranged it."

Madeleine would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not hear the dissatisfaction in her sister's voice. And all of a sudden, something akin to irritation flares up in her.

She is different from Lola. She's been killing people at Mama's behest as her personal weapon in the dark since eleven years old, and she's never stopped since. Lola lives in the heart of Mama's territory, where she is safe and protected and served three meals a day–

"You are a Charlotte," Madeleine snaps out icily, heart impassive even as her sister jerks and recoils. "From birth, you've enjoyed the privileges that come with being Mama's daughter. You do not need to scavenge for your own food. You do not need to sleep on a bed of hay. You do not need to take a knife into your hands and–"

She cuts herself off with a slight hiss.

_You have enjoyed numerous privileges as Big Mom's daughter, privileges that most people can only dream of in the New World. And now, when it is your time to step forth when Big Mom needs you, you dare turn away?_

__

__

Do you have any idea–

Any idea–

_aNY iDeA–_

Madeleine closes her eyes. Deep breath. Slow in, slow out.

"Sister, that's not–"

"I'm done here," she says curtly, and stands up to leave. "Go home. Maybe Chiffon will talk some sense into you."

The kill missions that Mama likes to send her on have resulted in Madeleine gaining a rather nasty habit of killing whatever gets in her way. Lola might be foolish and inconsiderate at times, but that doesn't warrant her death at Madeleine's hands.

(This has nothing to do with the fact that Lola is one of the few siblings who can look her in the eyes without flinching and smiles and laughs as easily as she breathes. A breath of sunshine. This has nothing to do with anything whatsoever. Nothing at all.)

.

.

"… She's really gone?"

Katakuri's eyes darken, and his words come out low and clipped. "Yes. _Traitor."_

Madeleine hums, eyes flickering to the horizon line where the sky meets the sea. "Mama won't be pleased."

Her brother exhales, clicking his tongue in silent agreement. For a moment, both of them stare out at the sea together, in the direction where Lola had fled in the dead of the night, and she can't help but wonder _why._

Lola isn't _stupid._ Oblivious at times, and eternally optimistic, but not stupid. She knows the risks. All of Big Mom's children know the risks. She'd even _warned_ her, when the girl had asked for her opinion earlier in the day. So why, why, _why?_

Why?

"… We need to report this. _Fuck."_ Katakuri reaches up and rubs his eyes, the way only a man who's had to clean up after one too many messes of his eighty-odd younger siblings does. "This is… not good. Mama's been planning this for a long time, and Lola is the lynchpin of it all. She's going to be _furious."_

Indeed, Mama is going to be furious. There's no doubt about it. Madeleine doesn't fancy being anywhere within three islands of it when that's happening.

"I'll go take a look at what was going on with the patrol last night," she offers. Katakuri waves her off with a spare hand, the other preoccupied with pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain effort to stave off an incoming headache.

.

.

Mama is _furious,_ incandescent with rage.

Lola is labeled a traitor.

.

.

Sometimes, Madeleine wonders how Lola is doing. Knowing her, it's unlikely that the girl had thought through all the consequences and ramifications of her abrupt departure. Did she ever even consider what would become of her sister Chiffon?

… She'll never understand the girl.

But then, there's still a charm to that. It's precisely the reason why Lola is the only one of Big Mom's children to successfully disappear as a runaway bride, even with Madeleine still remaining by Mama's side, heeding her every beck and call.

"You're lucky that you're my favorite, Lola. I'd hate to have to kill another sister."

_Find a good man to settle down with, and never come back._

.


	2. mired ties of blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at what Madeleine's siblings think of her, Part I.
> 
> Headcanon: Katakuri acts cool and suave, but he's actually just a giant dork who's a complete mother hen over his little siblings. The ones he considers family, anyways.

.

**.What is Reflected in Thine Eyes**

Brûlée is not the most outstanding of her sisters. She knows this.

(There is nothing to be gained from making it a habit to lie to oneself –just take a look at Lola. The less said about that delusional girl, the better.)

Oh, it certainly used to _grate_ at her in the beginning, watching her little siblings gradually surpass her one by one and leave her behind in the dust –but by the thirtieth sibling or so, she's long grown accustomed to it. Everyone is talented in different areas; leave the fighting to the little hellions who are actually good at it. No, Brûlée will serve the family in her own way. Being skilled at fighting doesn't necessarily translate to being skilled at everything. God knows more than just overwhelming combat power is needed to properly run an empire, much less one as impressively large and grand as Totto Land.

Brûlée is the eighth daughter of the Charlotte Family. This is a hard, irrefutable advantage that she holds over the majority of her siblings. Even if they have the skill, it takes _time_ to develop it, and Brûlée possesses the wisdom and experience that comes with age that many of them lack. Most of her siblings are born within the safe confines of Totto Land, but Brûlée is old enough to vaguely recall distant days of wandering at sea, of hunting and being hunted.

There is a reason why Mama tends to delegate the more important, delicate tasks to her older children. They are weathered and capable in a way that their younger siblings aren't, in a way that Brûlée secretly hopes they'll never have to be.

Madeleine is a bit of an oddity to this, though.

… Actually that's probably the most massive understatement of the century.

Even amongst the twenty other siblings in her age group, amongst any of her older siblings at her age –she's _brilliant,_ in a way that's long passed impressive and moved straight into downright terrifying. The girl soaks up information like a literal sponge, and it's almost like her body is built for battle, the way she practically blitzes through her training.

Truly, if there's anything about her that is lacking at all, it would be her personality –lack of personality, really– but given her recalcitrant demeanor and antisocial ways…

_Hello, awkward genius child, anyone?_

The girl might not be close with very many of her siblings, but it's clear that she adores Mama, if the way she fervently clings to each and every one of their mother's words is any indication of things.

It was really sweet, the first time she set out and decimated the stubborn country of Taellun to bring their mother the country's lauded hazelnut-chocolate for her birthday.

No, Brûlée doesn't resent her little sister. She doesn't resent any of her siblings. Now, she's long past the point of pointless jealousy of her siblings for being talented in fighting, for being talented in a way that she will never be. They are all Charlottes, and they all contribute to the family in their own way, whether it be through combat or administration or diplomacy.

She just… worries, sometimes. Madeleine is one of her younger sisters, and impressively skilled as she might be, as confident as Mama is in sending her out on missions that even Perospero and Katakuri would pause at…

As one of the older middle siblings, Brûlée knows that while it might be the job of the younger siblings to not make undue trouble for their older siblings, it's also the responsibility of the older siblings to watch out for their little brothers and sisters, just like Katakuri. Madeleine is clearly nothing if not capable in all her terrible brilliance, but she still worries.

She was the one to treat the girl's broken ribs and fractures the first time she came back from an assignment Mama gave her as a test, after all. It's only natural that she'd worry.

Madeleine is everything that Brûlée once would've given _anything_ to be. Clever, talented, nearly an unstoppable force of nature in her own right, a true diamond shining amongst her numerous siblings and favored by Mama. But Brûlée is a little bit older now, and that makes her a little bit wiser from the young girl she used to be.

So she slips an extra treat into Madeleine's afternoon tea whenever she can manage it. Tarts, biscuits, cakes. It feels a lot like feeding an ungrateful dog at times, especially given the socially retarded girl's complete lack of acknowledgment, but Brûlée just rolls her eyes and bears with it. An older sibling should indulge their younger sister from time to time. Of course, the fact that said younger sibling could kick her ass at the drop of a hat has absolutely nothing to do with anything whatsoever.

… She's not deaf. There are several _rumors_ of Madeleine being heartless, an unfeeling tool that ignores everyone save for Mama. Rumors that only grow more and more exaggerated over time, as Madeleine grows stronger and stronger and her kill count breaks solidly into the triple digits while still remaining as cold and standoffish as ever.

Stupid little siblings. Stupid little sisters and stupid genii for being so socially inept that it _hurts_ to watch them stumble around, gods.

She's glad to be proven wrong on the day that Mama makes them choose their Devil Fruit powers together.

"This here," their mother pats one of the strangely-colored fruits, "Is the Mirror Mirror Fruit. The other one is a complete surprise! Now, who wants which fruit?"

The wealth and influence of the Big Mom Pirates means that it's easy for Mama to obtain precious, coveted Devil Fruits for her children, but she only rewards them to those she deems worthy. Brûlée is finally receiving her reward, receiving acknowledgment for all these years of uncomplaining, unrelenting work in forming the governing policies of Totto Land, while Madeleine is being rewarded for bringing a particularly tricky island under Totto Land's sphere of influence.

As far as Devil Fruits go…

Everyone knows that there are useful fruits and useless ones. The Mirror Mirror Fruit is undeniably a useful one –in fact, it's almost _perfect_ for someone like Brûlée, perfect for transportation and communication and last-minute escape routes, if need be. But knowing Madeleine, Brûlée has no doubt that the fruit would turn into an even more terrifying weapon in her prodigious little sister's hands. And Madeleine, as careful and calculative and pragmatic as she is, will have no interest in gambling on an unknown fruit when there is a perfectly fine, perfectly usable–

Mama's eyes are on Madeleine, clearly encouraging the younger girl to choose first–

Madeleine has more potential, is capable of contributing more to the family–

Brûlée is–

_Brûlée is–_

"I'd like to take that one, please."

Brûlée stares.

_Her pragmatic little sister is pointing at the unknown mystery fruit._

"… You're certain, Madeleine?" Mama's eyes glitter.

The younger girl nods.

"Yes. I want a challenge. The Mirror Mirror Fruit would certainly be useful to me, but I already know what I would do with it. That's boring. I'm sure that Sister Brûlée will make good use of it."

Mama _laughs._ "Hahahamamama! That's my girl. Don't come crying to me if it turns out to be a dud, though. You had your chance."

"Of course not, Mama," Madeleine executes a perfect ninety-degree bow. "Rest assured that I will develop the fruit's potential to its utmost no matter what the ability is. I swear that there will be no negative effects on my performance. Besides, I trust in Mama's luck. The only way that this Devil Fruit that Mama bought will be useless is if my own ill fortune is through the roof today."

"So sweet, little Madeleine," Mama laughs again. "Hurry up and eat your fruits, both of you."

"Yes, Mama."

And so, this is how Brûlée obtains the Mirror Mirror Fruit and becomes a Mirror woman. Even with her barely-contained anticipatory excitement, she'd still very nearly spat out the _horrid_ fruit the moment she'd placed it in her mouth. Truly, it was the foulest thing she had ever tasted. Only the very fact that she was standing in Mama's presence stopped her from regurgitating the thing.

Power comes at a price, indeed.

Madeleine eats the fruit with no change in her expression at all, mild as milk. Brûlée doesn't believe the façade for a moment, immediately poking the girl for details the moment Mama dismisses them to experiment with their newly-obtained Devil Fruit powers.

The girl smiles crookedly, an expression that tugs lightly at her lips but does not reach her eyes. "It tastes like madness."

Well. That's certainly one way to put it.

… Even more reason to throw a few extra cookies in her favorite little sister's afternoon tea today, then.

.

.

**.What Needs Not Be Spoken**

It's not good for one to have a favorite sibling. Intellectually, Katakuri knows this. Unfortunately, this is still not enough to control his feelings.

When Brûlée starts fussing over one of their younger siblings, it's only natural for Katakuri to turn his attention towards the girl for a cursory look as well. Charlotte Madeleine. His twenty-sixth sister, and number fifty-sixth in the family tree.

Ah, that's the young little genius sister. One of Mama's new favorites.

… She's a curious little thing, focused and diligent and motivated in a way that he hasn't seen since his and his other single-digit siblings' childhood days. Katakuri can admire dedication like that.

From the very first moment he lays eyes on Madeleine in midst of her lessons, he instinctively knows that the girl will become strong. Stronger than the rest of his other little siblings. Maybe even as strong as himself one day, if she keeps working at it.

And he's right.

She still hasn't quite reached his level just yet, but she's getting closer nowadays. Their spars have transitioned from mentor-student training into something more akin to actual sparring, and he's quite proud of how far his little sister has come, over the years.

He can also appreciate the name that she has begun making for herself. _The Bone-Devil of Black,_ for her white swords crafted from dragon fangs and dragon bones, and for the death that she leaves in her wake. It's crude and vicious, certainly, but it also strikes fear into people's hearts and makes their enemies think twice about attacking them at the cost of her personal reputation. Katakuri can respect that; he himself is much the same.

Although for Madeleine, it seems to be less of a deliberate act that she consciously keeps up and more of a byproduct of her defective personality. Which, well.

_Well._

… Moving on, then.

Katakuri likes Madeleine. Not for her sharp intelligence or her raw talent, but simply because she is disciplined and works hard and never spouts off incessant, trivial complaints. She's not quite his favorite sibling, but he likes her well enough even without the title of 'favorite' and all that implies.

Madeleine is also the one sibling he's never had to clean up messes after, which makes her a _godsend,_ even with that too-blank personality of hers and utter disregard for most people. It's not quite haughty arrogance, more like she just doesn't… _care,_ really. Almost like she wouldn't even bat an eye if any of her siblings ran astray of trouble or found themselves caught in a lethal trap.

It's the one thing Katakuri can't approve of her. Luckily, this attitude does not extend to everyone around her; Madeleine practically worships the ground their mother walks on, and even with the stony front she keeps up for nearly everyone else, Katakuri is still sharp enough to see that Madeleine isn't quite as heartless as the rest of the world believes. Brûlée would know that better than him.

The girl is just really, _really_ bad at expressing herself. And considering that _he's_ the one saying this… clearly, his little genius sister has some serious issues.

At least Brûlée doesn't seem put off by it, thankfully enough. The thing with the Mirror Mirror Fruit had only cemented the budding relationship between the girls.

It's always good to see his sisters getting along well with each other.

Madeleine might be the sibling that he worries over the least, but in another sense she's also the sister that he worries over the most. It's almost maddening at times, really.

"Katakuri?"

… Like now. _Goddamnit._

"You say that this man… challenged you to a spar?" He forces out the words from his throat slowly, eye twitching. He takes his words back. That thing about Madeleine never making any messes? _He takes it back._ How is he going to explain this to Mama? "He's the _visiting dignitary_ from Hocus Land. Our alliance with them is… delicate. Why on earth would he jeopardize that by initiating conflict?"

Madeleine shrugs. "Dunno. He attacked me first. Said something about proving himself worthy of a hand or something. Hocus people are weird, brother."

Katakuri stares at his little sister for a long moment, then turns his gaze towards the elderly, portly man groaning on the ground.

"So… am I in trouble?"

"… No. No, you're not in trouble."

His little sister's face is as blank as ever, but even so her usual blank stoicism turns into blank confusion when he sighs and suddenly reaches over to pat her on the head.

"… Katakuri?"

"Next time," he tells her gruffly, "If anyone _ever_ says something like this to you again, don't just punch them, Madeleine. People like him, they're like cockroaches. If you don't cut off an arm or a leg, they'll keep coming back to bother you. Only Mama has the right to decide your future prospects, and it's _definitely not going to be with lowlife scum like this."_

The girl blinks, "Future prospects? What does that have to do with anything?"

"… Don't worry about it. Next time someone like this comes up to you, just cut off their head directly, understood?"

"Yes, brother."

Beneath their feet, the not-so-dignified dignitary twitches pathetically and lets out a pitiful whimper. Tough luck. Charlotte Katakuri is the older brother to almost eighty other younger siblings. He has a responsibility to them, and he's allowed to be a little protective of them, damnit.

Alliances might be important, but only up to a certain point. And family will always come first. Always.

.


	3. for quiet contemplation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perspectives from siblings, Part II, featuring Lola and Praline.

.

**.Sunshine, sunshine**

If Lola were even half as wily as Sister Brûlée or strong as Brother Katakuri, her crew never would've been caught by Moria in the first place, not in a million years. Shichibukai or not.

(The days they suffered on Thriller Bark, shadowless, unable to step into sunlight for fear of dissipating into dust, it's… it's something that she _never_ wants to go through again, thank you very much. It was, in a single word, _awful._ And in the darkest hours of the night, she would always recall her little sister's frown, the hard light in her eyes, the way she'd looked straight at her and said, _You are a Charlotte. From birth, you've enjoyed the privileges that come with being Mama's daughter. Go home. Maybe Chiffon will talk some sense into you._ )

… Then again, if they'd never been trapped on Thriller Bark, they never would've met the Straw Hat Pirates. Indeed, if there's a single good thing to come out of this whole debacle, Lola thinks it would be her crew's encounter with the Straw Hats. It's a little hard to describe, but there's something almost magnetic about them, and it's not just _charisma._ Lola knows charisma, has seen it firsthand from her older siblings who command Mama's fleets, but there's something that's just markedly _different_ about it when it comes to Luffy and his friends.

_Nakama._

Loyalty, faith, trust. A comradeship that even Lola finds herself admiring and in awe of, and it makes her wonder about the furtive looks and downward glances among her own siblings' subordinates back in Totto Land. Yes, it's certainly different from what Lola knows, but it's truly mesmerizing in its own right, this easygoing camaraderie between the Straw Hats that stands unshakable, indomitable.

It's something she definitely wouldn't have encountered if she'd remained home in Totto Land.

… Lola doesn't regret it. Running away from home, that is. Yes, she realizes that she's been blessed throughout her life, because Mama is strong and her siblings are strong and not everyone gets to live and grow up in a place as safe and as wonderful as Totto Land. But some things just can't be found by staying home forever, y'know? And Mama is great, is always watching out for her children, but even though Mama means well, she doesn't always _understand._

Hence Lola fleeing her engagement with Prince Loki.

…

Ever since taking off from home, her time at sea has been filled with many ups and downs. Boy oh _boy,_ have her days been filled with ups and downs.

Case in point: She and her entire crew getting their shadows stolen by a Shichibukai who wanted to make an army of zombies.

But despite the danger, there's also something that's so very exhilarating about setting out on the seas, beholden to nothing but the siren call that comes from excitement towards the unknown, and it's _freeing_ in a way that leaves Lola breathless with wonder even now. Particularly now, after their shadows have been returned and they're free to set out on the seas again.

Lola is on a search for love. Mama doesn't understand, and neither do any of her siblings, but that's alright. She'll just have to find her love and return home with him to show them all, give them proof that there's more to this world than just Totto Land.

Madeleine hadn't understood, back when she'd tried broaching the subject with her. That's alright. Lola will definitely make her little sister eat her words when she comes back with her beloved! Her younger sister might not be aware of it, but it's actually thanks to her that Lola first realized something lacking in her life in Totto Land; the fiasco with her intended husband was only the trigger to something that had been coming for a long, long time.

Lola isn't like Madeleine. She doesn't really understand her little sister's determination, her drive, the way she just keeps going and never stops. No matter what obstructions stand in her way, she always steamrollers over them. For anything she can't crush beneath her feet, she just _keeps on going_ until she drives it into the ground. Lola's seen the way her sister trains, the way she adheres religiously to Mama's words. She's supportive of her little sister's zealous drive, even if she doesn't quite understand it.

It's not just Madeleine who Lola doesn't understand; Madeleine is just the only one of her siblings who's most obvious about obeying each and every one of Mama's orders, from the most important to the most whimsical. And yes, Lola loves and admires her Mama just as all her siblings do, but there's a fine difference between loving and _loving,_ and there's just something about loving so blindly that strikes her as not quite right.

So, she can't accept Mama's definition of love. Not until she discovers her own interpretation of it, at least. Not until she finds her own answers and comes to her own conclusions.

Lola is Mama's daughter; a pirate's blood runs in her veins, and the sea calls to her. She'll find her answers on the seas, the same way Mama found hers. One day she'll return home, but not now. Not yet.

For now, Lola has her own adventures to follow.

"A Vivre Card?"

"Yes! You're headed for the New World, aren't you? This is my Mama's Vivre Card." Lola nods sagaciously. "My Mama's a really strong pirate in the New World, y'know! If you ever run into any trouble, you can just show her this Vivre Card with my signature."

Namizo blinks, before smiling. The radiant expression lights up her entire face, and Lola smiles right back at her sister-in-arms.

"Thanks, Lola!"

"If you see my Mama or any of my siblings, please tell them that I'm doing well and they don't need to worry about me." Lola has no doubts that Mama would've been upset at her running out on her own wedding, but she also knows that Mama loves her children, and Lola doesn't want her or any of her siblings to worry. And… "And if you see Madeleine, tell her that Lola will come back to show her what true love is one day!"

Lola misses Totto Land, sometimes. She misses her sweet Sister Chiffon, she misses grouchy little Madeleine… she _misses_ them, but at the same time, she can't bring herself to regret leaving.

There's an entire world beyond Totto Land waiting to be explored, and somewhere out there her beloved is waiting for her.

She's wasted enough time on Thriller Bark. Thanks to the Straw Hats, she can finally continue her journey again.

Really, there's no time to lose!

.

.

**.Quiet Lull, Rising Storm**

"So, what do you make of this?"

_'Firefist' Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates Brought to Justice, Execution Confirmed._

She dangles the newsletter haphazardly in front of her little genius sister, who doesn't even bother looking up from her usual workout routine. The girl's pointed disinterest couldn't be more obvious, silent as it is, which is just… well, fair enough. Praline doesn't think Madeleine has ever set foot in Paradise before, so Marineford probably wouldn't really mean anything to her. Still, given that the execution order is for _Portgas D. Ace,_ Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, she'd thought that the girl would at least have _some_ reaction to it.

If nothing else, the Whitebeard Pirates _is_ their 'rival crew,' in a manner of speaking.

…

Praline twitches when her little sister switches from sit-ups to push-ups without skipping a beat, utterly unresponsive to what's probably the most shocking news of the decade. Honestly, the girl.

She shakes her head, throwing the crumpled newsletter at her sister and outright _rolling_ her eyes when the girl's only response is to catch the projectile and continue her push-ups one-handed with machine-like efficiency. No fun at all, really. She's going to be just as bad as Katakuri at this rate; god knows their older brother would just find it cute or something, whatever goes on in his head behind that scarf of his.

Praline sinks back into the waters, leaving the little training maniac to her own devices. Mama's pet. She gets why the girl would try so hard to always be in Mama's good graces, but on the other hand… _why bother?_ It's not like Mama even recognizes any of them when she has one of her 'fits,' and Praline has lost more than one devoted brother or sister this way.

She sighs, a steady stream of bubbles escaping her mouth.

Praline is not one of Mama's favorites. She doesn't worship Mama the way little Madeleine does, nor is she anywhere near as skilled in combat. There are also no particularly outstanding abilities like Pudding that she has to make up for her lacking. She has no doubt that she's probably somewhere near the very top of Mama's 'Children to Marry Off' list, which…

It makes her disgusted, in a way, being treated as if she's some sort of _commodity_ like this, but she's helpless to do anything about it. No one sets their will against Mama and lives to tell the tale… save for Lola, perhaps, but Mama had been too busy dealing with the aftermath of a ruined marriage alliance with the giants to really go after one rebellious girl. Poor Prince Loki. He'd been the one to actually propose to Lola in the first place, from what she'd heard.

Honestly, if it had been Praline in Lola's place, she would've just gone through with the marriage. At least Loki would treat her well. Not that many of Mama's daughters were mistreated upon being married into other factions, bearing the name of Charlotte and all, just…

Praline thinks it would be so very _tiring_ to spend the rest of her life with a man who prostrates himself before Mama, and she dearly hopes that her future husband, whoever he might be, is _not_ such a spineless coward.

(Not that she herself is any better, never outright disobeying Mama and turning a blind eye to Mama's… displeasure, towards Lola's twin sister Chiffon, after Lola's departure. It grates at her, tugs at her heartstrings, but what can she do? Praline has no desire to be the next outlet for Mama's ire.)

It's kind of funny, in a way. Big Mom and Whitebeard are both Yonkou who've built their empire based on the enduring concept of family, but in completely opposite directions: Mama built her crew by tying everyone down with blood, while Whitebeard simply amassed anyone he deemed worthy to be his children. And isn't it _funny,_ because when it comes down to things, Mama doesn't even _care_ about blood ties at all?!

Praline can only wonder what life is like for Whitebeard's children, who don't even have the frail veneer of blood to hide behind.

Although… she's heard _rumors,_ about Whitebeard amassing his men. Gathering his forces. Preparing to launch a strike directly into the heart of Marineford, all for the sake of rescuing one of his many sons.

_Portgas D. Ace._

Would Mama ever do the same, if it were one of her children in Portgas' place? Chiffon? Smoothie? Madeleine?

… Praline?

No.

No, silly question, why bother? … She already knows the answer to that. Praline already knows.

_How real does a family have to be in order to start being fake? And how fake does a family have to be in order to start being real? … Just what is it that defines the strength of the bonds between the members of a family?_

…

Sometimes, Praline wishes that she weren't a Charlotte at all.

.


	4. for shattered wings of flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mad Monk Pirates would've much preferred to have encountered Charlotte Cracker instead. They would've had considerably fewer fatalities that way.

.

There was once a time when she would've hesitated. A time when she wasn't a murderer, murderess. But that was a long time ago.

Madeleine threw everything away the day she decided to prioritize survival above all else, and that includes fickle things like her own morality. What use does she have for morality, if it's not going to help her become useful, if it's not going to help her survive the tender attentions of her dearest mother?

It's pathetic. Practical, but pathetic.

… She's a pathetic excuse of a person, and she knows it. Doesn't dare try to do anything about it, but this knowledge weighs down on her all the same.

It is, after all, _true._

_"You monster!"_

Madeleine doesn't even so much as twitch despite the curses hurled her way, accompanied by knives and gunshots. She responds to them all the same way: With a single swing of a bone-white sword. It's a lot easier than one would think, this killing business. And isn't it funny, how a girl like Madeleine has forged herself into such an efficient killing machine? That for all her apprehensions, her guilt, her _conscience,_ it's still all so very _easy_ for her body to remember its training and just… kill?

(She still remembers the first time someone had voiced some inane objection to Mama at one of her Tea Parties, when she'd caught sight of the dark expression forming over her mother's face and she just _reacted._ The man was dead long before he hit the ground.

Mama is a monster. This is fact. Madeleine knows this just as surely as she knows that the sun rises in the east.

… But what sort of monster has she made herself into?)

Inhale, exhale.

Madeleine flicks away the blood on her swords, wiping down the bone-white blades before sheathing them away again.

Trespassers are rare. It's common knowledge that the land in these waters belong to Mama, after all, and no one in their right mind would ever want to incite the ire of a Yonkou. Save for their current intruders, whatever went on in their minds when they thought to challenge Big Mom.

How long has it been since the last time anyone dared to trespass on Big Mom's territory? Madeleine can't quite remember. Far too long, it seems.

She might not remember the date, but she remembers the way the waters ran red with blood.

… It certainly seems that the intruders this time around have some measure of skill, considering that they were able to defeat Snack. Certainly, Brother Snack is the weakest of the Four Sweet Commanders, chosen more for his skill in leading men than his actual combat prowess, but he's still no pushover.

Even now, the storm brewing overhead –it's a sign of Mama's _rage,_ rage at the defeat of one of her children and at the blatant challenge to her authority. Coming into Mama's territory, defeating one of the Sweet Commanders, then leaving without a scratch?

No, no, _no._

_How naïve._

After so many years spent desperately trying to please her capricious mother, Madeleine still can't claim to _know_ the woman; no one can. All it means is that Madeleine is now sensitive enough that she can predict Mama's reactions, to some extent. Doubtlessly, her mother will want the intruders punished for their transgressions, for daring to slight her with their impertinence.

Madeleine turns her gaze to the not-so-far distance, closing her eyes and concentrating her senses.

Regrettably, her Observation Haki is nowhere near as strong as Katakuri's, and she still has a ways to go before her mastery of it is enough to allow her to begin catching glimpses of the future the way her brother's does. Still, it does cover a fairly impressive range in terms of distance, which is useful when she needs to survey her surroundings or when she's searching for something–

Ah, there they are.

Madeleine opens her eyes and takes off running.

Figures that they'd be trapped in the Seducing Woods. It's a bizarre mix of a forest that looks like it got stuck somewhere between wonderland and candyland… sentience of the entire forest aside. It doesn't take long for Madeleine to arrive on the scene, and the forest automatically parts to make a path for her, licorice trees scuttling to the side and marshmallow toadstools hopping out of the way.

_This way, Lady Madeleine! This way, this way!_

Madeleine nods, not bothering to slow her pace in the least as she continues onwards in a low sprint.

The first pirate never even sees her coming. It takes less than a second for Madeleine to pierce his heart and cut off his head for good measure, and then she's gone.

Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and–

_"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"_

Ah, finally.

Madeleine spins, sword raised, ready to block the… giant stone pillar…? Huh. Interesting choice of weaponry, that. Ineffective, but interesting.

Her dragon-bone sword slices through the rock like butter, and Madeleine uses one of the falling pieces as a stepping stone, leaping into the air and twisting before catching herself on a nearby branch.

The man is… in a single word: _large._ Thick ropes of muscles bulge across his body in a way that's very much unnatural. Devil fruit, perhaps? Or maybe it's because his blood isn't purely human. Might even be both, for all she knows… not that it makes any difference.

"How dare you," the man says, in a trembling tone that sounds very much like grief. Or is it rage? _"How dare you._ Are you the one responsible for my crew members' deaths, young lady?"

Such an obvious question deserves an equally obvious answer. Madeleine raises the sword in her hands again, and the pirate's eyes narrow.

"Very well. _You will regret this."_

… No, she won't. Madeleine is long past the point of regret by now. This is not the first time that she has killed for Mama, nor will it be the last. The pirate and his crew members are only the latest few on a long, long list of names. He certainly seems to be very… _emotional_ about it. First time experiencing deaths in his crew? Right in front of his eyes, no less?

Madeleine might feel sorry for him, if she were still capable of compassion. As it is right now, all she feels is pity. Pity for the man who'd underestimated Mama and overestimated himself.

Pity's never helped anyone.

_Give up, you don't stand a chance! No one ever opposes Mama and walks away without a price!_

_Silly little Supernova. Did all that fame from Paradise get to your head? This is the New World!_

_Come on, Lady Madeleine! Punish this guy, kill 'im dead!_

… Maybe it's because of grief, that his movements are so wild and messy. Maybe it's because of his injuries from his previous battle with Snack, that he is too weak and too slow to avenge his comrades as he'd promised. Who knows? He talks big, but there is no strength left in his body to back up his words, if he'd ever even possessed any semblance of it in the first place.

The battle lasts less than a minute.

It's… very anticlimactic. Madeleine finds herself almost disappointed, and leaves the silly man and his crew to be disposed of by the inhabitants of the Seducing Woods, sheathing her bone-white sword.

"Oi, oi, you're not going to kill them all? Seriously?"

Charlotte Cracker. Madeleine acknowledges her brother's arrival with a quick side-glance, then dismisses him completely. The older man clicks his tongue in irritation, dropping down from one of the higher branches and landing right next to her.

"C'mon, don't be like that. I'm just surprised, this isn't your usual style. Unless you think they're not even worth killing?" Cracker twists to look back at the broken, bleeding forms of the defeated pirates being dragged away by the gnarled roots of animate trees, a cruel smile spreading over his lips as he lets out a low whistle. _"Burnnn._ Good for you, Madeleine. Man, I can't believe Snack lost to some weakling like that."

The young girl shrugs.

"Yeah, I'm still a little miffed that you managed to find the little upstarts before me, but seeing how weak they are… it's such a _downer,_ y'know?" Cracker rattles off next to her. "And I got all excited here for a moment, too. It's been _such_ a long time since we've gotten anything close to a proper challenge. That other Bege guy didn't even try to fight! Tch, coward."

Madeleine can't _believe_ she'd once thought Lola was her chattiest sibling.

"Just so you know, this doesn't mean that you've beaten me. Or Smoothie. You've still got a long ways to go before you reach our level and–"

"Have things already ended?"

Madeleine turns towards the sudden interjection. "Yes, Brother Katakuri."

Cracker _rolls_ his eyes.

"Oh, I see how it is. How come Katakuri gets an actual response while I just get the cold shoulder, huh? This is blatant favoritism, damn it." Cracker complains. Loudly. Madeleine continues ignoring him. Cracker likes to run his mouth sometimes; he'll complain just for the sake of complaining without really meaning any of what he says.

Katakuri simply reaches over and pats her on the head, the same way he does so after every training session. "Good work, Madeleine."

(His hand is warm.)

Katakuri… It's not an exaggeration in the least to say that Katakuri almost single-handedly made Madeleine into the deadly fighter that she is today. He is, after all, the one who took over her training when she first surpassed her combat instructors several years back. Secretly, there is part of Madeleine that hates him for the role he played in forging her into such an effective weapon, but at the same time she feels guilty for feelilng that way, because she _knows_ that it's wrong of her to blame him for it. She was the one to choose her own path, after all. It's not his fault. There is no reason for Katakuri to shoulder any of the blame for that, not when his only wish is for his little sister to become strong enough to protect herself and serve the family.

… Despite all of that, Madeleine still respects him. In another world, in a regular family, she thinks that she might've even come to truly love her siblings, for all their faults.

But this is not that world. Here, they are Charlottes, children of the monstrous Yonkou Big Mom.

"Let's go. We still need to report to Mama." Katakuri turns on his heel, and both of his younger siblings automatically fall in line behind him.

"Yes, brother."

.

.

_… has been defeated. Recently, one of the rising stars of the Worst Generation, the Supernova 'Mad Monk' Urouge, has suffered a solid defeat at the hands of Big Mom's crew. Though he was able to defeat one of Big Mom's Four Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Snack, he proved to be no match for the Yonkou's other children. Charlotte Madeleine is reported to be the one who took down Urouge after arriving on the scene, and the remaining stragglers of the Fallen Monk Pirates were subsequently driven out of Big Mom's territory, their current whereabouts unknown…_

_… so, there is an announcement of a Tea Party celebrating the promotion of a new Sweet Commander in place of Charlotte Snack. Charlotte Madeleine, the twenty-sixth daughter of Big Mom, will be taking up her brother's post in Big Mom's fleet…_

_… not the first, nor will it be the last. Will anyone ever rise to successfully challenge the Yonkou, and live to tell the tale?_

.


	5. church bells calling (WCI Arc Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part I: In which Madeleine has tea with the Vinsmokes.

.

_Cake, cake, so lovely and sweet~_

_Cake, cake, such a wonderful treat._

_Open up wide and close those eyes–_

_You'll never see the bullet coming 'till you die!_

.

.

As far as plans go, it's not a bad one.

Given how technologically advanced the Germa 66 are, given their marked lack of strength to protect what belongs to them… it was really only a matter of time before Mama became interested in 'acquiring' the Vinsmokes, royalty or not. Everything in this world is built on the basis of strength, after all.

Mama likes to use marriage to strengthen alliances with subordinate powers to her crew. But that depends on the power in question, and on whether or not they are 'suitable' to bring into the fold.

… The Germa 66 is not… _weak,_ not in the conventional sense of the word. In fact, they're quite a considerable force to be reckoned with, even in the New World. It's their attitude –given their history, their background, their _pride,_ they would eventually grow to challenge Mama's authority if given full access to resources available to the Big Mom Pirates, and it would be better to subvert it by taking care of any potential problems before they even become a problem in the first place.

So, assassination. Wedding assassination, to be precise.

It's rather well known that the Big Mom Pirates often use marriage to affirm alliances and strengthen connections, and given the status of the Vinsmoke name, it only seems natural to seek union in matrimony.

… It baffles her, that none of them seem to be able to see it. Mama might be the ruler of her own country, but she's first and foremost a _pirate._ How could anyone ever overlook that?

"There you are, Madeleine."

She blinks, turning at the call of her name. "Sister Brûlée." _To what do I owe the pleasure?_

Brûlée smiles in return, the corners of her eyes crinkling upwards as her lips follow the upward curve. "You've been out acquiring some rare illusion ingredients for Mama's Tea Party over the course of the last few weeks, haven't you? Thought you'd like to know; Tamago already brought the missing Vinsmoke prince back with him a few days ago, and the Germa 66 have arrived in Mama's territory. Now that all the pieces are in place, the wedding will proceed as planned."

_Proceed as planned._ Proceed with the execution of a sweet, lovely wedding that will only end in copious amounts of blood and death and a small step forwards in Mama's ambitions.

Distantly, Madeleine wonders when it was that she just… stopped caring. Even in a past-life-that-no-longer-is, she had never been quite _kind,_ but sometimes she can't help but think that she's become incapable of empathy now. Nothing seems to matter much anymore nowadays, aside from the Charlotte Family she serves.

(Nothing, aside from the monstrous Charlotte Linlin.)

"There's a small hiccup with a few flies that I need to head over and take care of, but I'll find you afterwards," Brûlée pats her shoulder. "Have you checked in with Mama yet?"

"… No."

"Best get going, then," her sister laughs lightly. "Mama will be delighted to hear from you."

.

.

Mama will be delighted to hear from you, she says.

Madeleine stares for a long moment at the rampaging form of her mad mother. Even with the considerable distance between her current position and that of the capital city, she can still feel tremors running through the ground when Mama raises Prometheus in her hands and incinerates a good section of the city, ruthlessly smashing everything to pieces.

_It's an eating disorder,_ is how it was explained to her. _An eating disorder. She'll rage and rage until we bring her the food she desires. Mama doesn't do this on purpose, she's not really aware of anything during these episodes. She can't control herself. She doesn't mean to._

Madeleine spins on her heel and runs in the opposite direction, fleeing like the coward she is, her heartbeat a staccato drum in her hollow chest.

(Accident, they call it. Madeleine wouldn't know about that, but she does know that she does not want to follow in her father's footsteps. That's all. That's all there is to it.)

.

.

Katakuri is the one who eventually finds her in the aftermath of everything, as he usually does. The man takes one longsuffering look at his little sister curled up high in the branches of a nervous tree and makes a sharp gesture with his fingers, _Come down now._

Madeleine promptly rolls over and drops to the ground, catlike.

Katakuri is quietly indulgent of his little siblings, but not endlessly so. She knows that he's never really approved of her hiding away whenever one of Mama's fits strike, but Madeleine would rather live with her brother's silent disappointment than meet her end at her monstrous mother's hands.

… There's really no comparison, when you put things that way.

"Come. There's work to be done," is all her brother says to her, short and succinct, and Madeleine trails after him obediently.

Smoke curls up from the many crushed buildings, people running back and forth in haste to repair the damage done from Mama's tantrum as quickly as possible. The sight used to make something curl uncomfortable inside her chest, something heavy and constricting rise to her throat, but nowadays she doesn't really feel anything about it anymore. She's not sure if she should be grateful for this detachment, or scared by it.

"Bege and his Fire Tank Pirates have been assigned as the security detail for Mama's Tea Party this time," Katakuri informs her from ahead, as he leads her on a winding path through the sugary rubble. "Have you seen Brûlée already? She's off to take care of the Straw Hats. Apparently, they've come here with the goal of retrieving Vinsmoke Sanji."

Straw… Hats.

…

Bluntly speaking, Madeleine… doesn't really remember very many details from her life-that-no-longer-is anymore. A large part of that is due to the fact that her memories have grown faded over the years, and the smaller part is because she deliberately chooses not to remember. In a world like this, clinging on to a nebulous past that has little practical relation to her present is not conducive towards accomplishing anything.

She once remembered a tale of turbulent seas and bloodthirsty pirates the moment she woke up and witnessed her mother eat her father alive, and look where that's gotten her today. Every action spurred by terror, marked by violence. A broken moral compass, and a considerable dose of insanity.

Madeleine _wishes_ that she didn't remember anything. There would be far less fear and agony and bloodshed in her life if she didn't –the very things her existence is now defined by.

Regardless, for all that there is not much that Madeleine recalls from her phantom life before, much less the details of the storyline of a popular work of fiction, she's vaguely aware that Straw Hats is what the tale had focused on.

… Something about stretching and rubber and stupidly convenient luck?

Madeleine doesn't really remember. She's never depended on luck, not since the day she was born and all she could do was desperately pray that her mother would not turn her attentions onto her newborn self after the woman finished with her father.

The girl does not quite shiver at the memory, but a chill runs down her spine nonetheless, prickling her skin.

"–leine. Madeleine?"

She gives a small start. To anyone else, it would be unnoticeable, but Katakuri is not anyone else. Training with him as often as she does means that Katakuri is very much aware of her tells, and Madeleine suppresses a soft sigh as she sees the way his brow creases ever so slightly.

_I'm fine. It's nothing._

She shakes her head. "Sorry. Was… distracted."

Katakuri turns back around, but Madeleine knows that her brother is not so easily placated. "You know you can always talk to me if there's anything wrong."

… Anything wrong? _Everything_ is wrong, more like. But Madeleine just presses her lips together and says nothing of it.

They draw closer to Mama's castle, and the girl sucks in a deep breath, following close behind her brother. It's silly, hiding behind someone else, and it's not like she can do it in front of Mama, because Mama needs to see Madeleine as a confident girl assured of her own competence instead of a gutless coward–

But sometimes, sometimes she thinks that living as a Charlotte has really gotten to her. She thinks of Katakuri as a solid, immovable wall; reliability and safety, just as her other siblings do, even though she knows it's a lie in the end. Katakuri is strong, the strongest of all the Charlotte children, but Katakuri can't protect them from Mama.

No one can.

.

.

(Charlotte Madeleine is twenty years old. She is renowned as a genius and infamous for the trail of blood she leaves in her footsteps, a nightmare to anyone who stands across from her on the battlefield. She is one of the Four Sweet Commanders, the Minister of Spice, and… truly, she's come a long way from being the scared, helpless little girl who has nightmares of being devoured by her own mother.

She's come a long way since then, but she's still quietly terrified.)

.

.

_"The Vinsmokes will be arriving soon! Ohh, I'm so excited!"_

Some reliable big brother Katakuri is, taking her here and just _leaving_ her with Mama.

… No, it's not Katakuri's fault. What Mama asks for, Mama gets, and if it just so happens that the woman wants Madeleine here in the room with her when she greets their new 'in-laws,' well, then that's exactly what she'll get.

At least she's not alone in this, cold comfort that it is.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Madeleine?" Peros smiles at her, eyes narrowing into slits in a way that would be threatening and off-putting to most people, though Madeleine knows her oldest brother well enough to recognize the good mood that is currently about him. In some ways, Charlotte Perospero is the child who takes after Mama the most, and that alone makes Madeleine wary. "How have you been doing lately?"

"… I've been well," she responds, voice soft. And then, after a stilted, awkward pause, "Thanks."

… That didn't come out like a question, did it?

"That's good to hear." Her brother gives her a friendly pat on the back, and Madeleine is careful to keep her hands folded and still. "You've been working hard for Mama, but make sure to take care of yourself, too."

Is… is that a joke? A pointed suggestion to start picking up more assignments? Did she miss a health inspection? Madeleine smiles hesitantly, unsure of how to respond to this and slightly uncomfortable. Her brother just shakes his head and lets out a small laugh at her apparent confusion.

"Don't worry about it, I'll just get Brûlée or Katakuri afterwards. Maybe Cracker; he's been complaining about not having anyone to spar with lately."

What?

Before they get along any further in their distinctly one-sided conversation, though, the door opens again.

"Pudding, dear," Mama smiles. "C'mere and have a seat with your siblings. Your future _husband_ and his family will be here soon."

"Yes, Mama!" The young girl beams, bright and rosy-cheeked and every bit the image of an excited bride. Madeleine closes her eyes. There's a reason why she isn't very close with this particular sister, and it has nothing to do with the third eye hidden away beneath her bangs.

"Brother Peros, Sister Madeleine," Pudding greets cheerfully. Only Peros returns a verbal greeting; Madeleine simply inclines her head in a small nod of acknowledgment. The girl isn't deterred by Madeleine's reticence in the least, spinning a few circles on the ground before finally twirling into the empty seat next to Peros. "Oh, I'm so nervous! Even my hands are cold! Ah, what if they don't like me?"

_They'd like you even if you were the ugliest woman on the Grand Line and had the personality of wet cardboard,_ Madeleine thinks, though not uncharitably. It's nothing but the truth. The Vinsmokes are only thinking of the benefits they can wring from Mama through this 'alliance.' Pudding is lucky that Mama has no intention of actually going through with this marriage in the first place; not many of their other siblings have such a privilege.

(Praline didn't.)

When the Vinsmokes arrive… well, there's nothing much to say about it. Customary introductions are made and greetings are exchanged around the tea table. Mama claps her hands and orders that food be brought out to the table. Teacups dance upwards at her call, pancakes and sausages backflip out of singing baskets, and it's all very much a scene straight out of the pages of wonderland.

Madeleine knows better, though. She is well aware that she lives in hell, not wonderland.

The Vinsmoke who ends up sitting down next to her is the eldest sister of the five Vinsmoke siblings, "Poison Pink" Reiju. Madeleine can certainly see where her name comes from –not only is the girl's hair a vivid, _vibrant_ pink, her outfit also sports a similar color theme. Not that Madeleine really has any room to be criticizing things in this respect; Mama certainly has a food theme going on for her own children.

… She's still not sure why Mama wants her _here,_ in a social gathering, of all things. Madeleine is only good at killing people, not talking to them. Talk to their dead bodies, more like… which is downright creepy, now that she thinks of it. Well. At least Reiju doesn't seem too off-put by Madeleine's lack of skill in holding casual conversation.

Pity she's a dead woman, though.

"Hahahamamama!" Mama laughs, and next to her, Peros' smile widens. Pudding's head lowers, no doubt caught up in her latest act of stringing along another fool who fell for her lies, and Madeleine casts her gaze down to her whistling teacup. The teacup stops whistling immediately. "I'm happy you were able to make it all the way here, Germa 66! We had a few minor issues earlier, but that's already been sorted out. Everything will be fine from here on out!"

_And it will end with your deaths._

"I've heard a lot about you. Sanji, is it?" the woman turns towards the silent blond next to Pudding. "A cook, are you? Well, a cook for Pudding's groom is just fantastic! Perfect! … Though the main purpose of this marriage will still be to cement our alliance in stone."

Here, Mama refocuses her attention on the stoic man seated across from her.

"Vinsmoke Judge. As long as you and I are on the same page, it should be nothing but smooth sailing from here on out! Hahahamama!"

The man nods, returning Mama's laughter with a smile of his one. "Indeed. I couldn't have said it better myself, Big Mom. Though… I must insist on adding that the lasting happiness of our children comes first and foremost before any alliance."

Pretty words. Beautiful sentiment. Why does that blond cook look so grim, then?

Madeleine blinks, slowly dragging her gaze from son to father and father to son, then shrugs and leans back in her chair. Protagonist's crew member or not, someone else's family troubles has nothing to do with her. She's already got enough of her own that she is very pointedly not dealing with, for fear of mortal peril.

Besides, no matter his background, no matter his history… nothing changes the fact that Vinsmoke Sanji will be the husband to one Charlotte Pudding tomorrow, for the scant few seconds before he and the rest of his family are killed. This is what Mama had planned, and so this is what will be. Anyone who stands in the way of that will simply be dealt with. Permanently.

Everyone is the protagonist of their own story.

"I wish us all the best for tomorrow's ceremony," Judge raises his glass in a toast. "To the happiness of our children, and to the success of our alliance!"

At this, Mama _smiles._

_"Yes. I guarantee that it shall be a day none of us will ever forget!"_

.

.

**.EXTRA: Wonderland Sweet**

"So, what do you think?"

Reiju exhales lightly. "The Charlottes are not to be underestimated, father."

It had been… _unnerving,_ to sit next to the Devil. For all that they were supposed to be allies from this point onwards, the other girl certainly hadn't acted like it. They must've looked quite the sight sitting next to each other, Reiju attempting to coax the younger girl into conversation as working allies and said girl just responding so… flatly, to everything.

Example: "How's it like to live in Totto Land?" "… Sweet."

Or: "I've never seen talking food before. Is everything here like this?" "Yes."

And the clincher: "So, what do you do for fun?" "I don't."

Not much of a conversationalist, this one.

If it hadn't been for Big Mom's consistent jovial attitude throughout it all, Reiju would've walked away from the encounter highly skeptical about this entire alliance business, even despite the arranged marriage in place. Although, she had no doubt that the Devil's presence here was deliberate –very few people were unaware of the vicious Devil who worked under Big Mom, after all. And even though Reiju has seen the bounty posters before, she'd still been caught off-balance by just how young and… _delicate,_ the other girl appeared to be.

She had a fighter's build, yes. Lean and lithe rather than well-muscled and stocky, but that was par the course for most females. Her bounty poster had made her seem fierce and imposing, eyes glittering like burning steel beneath the light of the setting sun, brilliant crimson hair aflame–

But in reality, her hair was only a soft, ashen-pale pink and her eyes as dark as night. The slight slouch she'd been sitting in made her seem lethargic, almost sleepy, and her presence in the room was so very innocuous and unassuming all the way up until the moment Big Mom had gone and introduced her as Charlotte Madeleine.

Charlotte Pudding was present because she was the bride to-be. Charlotte Perospero's presence could be explained away by his being the eldest of Big Mom's children. But Charlotte Madeleine…

She certainly didn't _look_ the part of a cruel, bloodthirsty demon, and while Reiju knows that rumors are often exaggerated, she's not stupid. Charlotte Madeleine is _dangerous._ The fact that she didn't even _notice_ until it was blatantly pointed out to her, it's…

A declaration of power. A show of strength. Big Mom might be willing to enter into an alliance with the Germa 66, but the Vinsmokes had better not entertain any ulterior motives, _or else._

Or else.

… Poor Sanji.

Reiju closes her eyes, if only for a brief moment. Sanji. Sanji doesn't deserve any of this, doesn't deserve being dragged into their father's twisted ambitions and his sick games. _Sanji doesn't deserve any of this._ It had hurt, watching Sanji put on a show and even go as far as _attacking his own captain who came to rescue him,_ all because the stupid boy knew their father was watching and he didn't want to bring the combined wrath of the Germa 66 and the Big Mom Pirates down on his crew.

_Nakama. You've finally found your family, brother._

… Good thing Reiju has a plan for her brother's escape, just like that day all those years ago back when the Germa 66 had been entering the Grand Line. It's the older sister's job to watch out for her younger siblings –doubly so, when Sanji is the little brother in question.

_You're the only one of us who's not a monster, Sanji. You're the only one who still has a heart._

_Never lose that, little brother._

…

"… hello? Um, Reiju?"

Reiju stops in her tracks at the sound of the familiar voice she'd heard earlier in the day, and turns around. Charlotte Pudding.

… What is she doing here?

Pudding tilts her head and smiles tentatively. "Um, sorry for stopping you in the middle of the street like this, but I have something that I'd like to ask you privately. It's, ah, it's about Sanji. Would you happen to have a moment? This won't take long, I promise."

.


	6. altars crumbling (WCI Arc Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part II: After getting dragged to Mama by Katakuri, now it's Madeleine's turn to grab Pudding. An argument happens with Cracker. Also, Luffy appears!

.

"Pudding. Mama's calling for you."

Madeleine looks past the demented smile on her little sister's face with practiced ease, and blinks in surprise at the guest on her chair. It's not so much as surprise for what she's caught her sister in the middle of doing so much as it is surprise for _who_ she's doing it to. Vinsmoke Reiju? One of their 'guests of honor?' Really?

… Considering that her little sister ate the Mem-Mem fruit and can quite literally modify memories, it's not really much of a problem, but…

Madeleine's eyes flick towards her sister's open window for a brief moment, contemplative. No. In the end, it's not worth it. She looks away and lets out a slow, wide yawn.

(Eavesdropping is rude, but it's not going to change anything at this point. Everything has already been set in stone. Just like how it doesn't matter if Pudding is the ugliest woman on earth with the personality of wet cardboard to match, neither does it matter if she's gorgeous and beautiful but has a rotten personality.)

Vinsmoke Sanji will marry Charlotte Pudding, and then he will die. He and the rest of his family. This is fact, immovable and undeniable.

Whether or not Sanji discovers a few distasteful things about his bride-to-be in his last few hours as a living man has no bearing on the smooth progression of Mama's plan, and so it's none of her concern. Madeleine turns her back to the windowsill.

"S-sister Madeleine." Pudding slowly lowers the gun in her hands. Candy bullets. "Mama's looking for me, you say?"

Madeleine levels a flat look at the girl. Does she really expect her to repeat herself? What's the point in doing that? She knows that Pudding heard her the first time.

The younger girl stiffens, and Madeleine closes her eyes, sinking back into the habitual slouch she's adopted. _Try to be a little more approachable,_ Katakuri says. Like he's any better than her, the hypocrite. Really, why does she even bother?

"Clean up after yourself before you leave," is all she says to her little sister, and then heads for the door.

It's not worth it.

.

.

"I'll kill the brat. _I'll kill him!"_

… In hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best idea to visit Cracker in the hospital. But Peros had insisted, and… Brûlée would never let her hear the end of it, if she knew. Brûlée is weird like that.

"Please stop moving, Minister Cracker!" the frazzled doctor pleads, only to freeze and pale drastically when her brother forcibly shoves himself into a sitting position on the hospital bed just to loom over the little man, eyes narrowed and teeth bared in a threatening hiss.

_"What did you just call me?"_

"M-m-minis… n-no, ah, c-commander! Commander Cracker! _General Cracker!_ P-please, I didn't mean–"

The wretched doctor scrabbling at his wits' end _flinches_ when his injured patient raises his fist, and–

…

"Let go of me, Madeleine."

The younger girl ignores him and turns towards the trembling doctor. "You're dismissed."

Immediately, the stout, pudgy man flees, making a beeline for the door. Madeleine heaves a tired mental sigh when Cracker promptly turns on her instead and _snarls._

… Last time she ever does anything according to the 'What Would Brûlée Do' guidelines again. Ever.

"What do you think you're doing?" the man growls, voice venomous and dripping acid, and Madeleine is so _done_ with it all, because–

"You're just throwing a tantrum for no reason," she informs him bluntly. It's nothing but the truth, but her brother does not take this very well.

The brief scuffle that ensues lasts less than a heartbeat, given his injured state. Madeleine arches an eyebrow when she notices that the idiot has succeeded in reopening the majority of his wounds in the process, blood starting to seep through clean, sterile bandages again.

Congratulations, Cracker. You have succeeded in nothing but extending your recovery period and further making a fool out of yourself, as if losing to a rookie pirate in front of Mama wasn't enough already. A rookie who has already been captured and brought in, might she add.

(And he always wonders _why_ Madeleine doesn't respect him like she does their brother Katakuri.)

"Are you done?" she asks flatly. Below her, Cracker curses into the bloodstained pillow. Thankfully, none of the medical devices have been broken too badly in their impromptu scuffle; it took a bit of tricky maneuvering, but she's managed to lock down and immobilize him with minimal damage to their surroundings. More monetary funds tend to go into ingredient expeditions than they do the hospital under Mama's orders, and replacing medical equipment is _expensive._

_"… Get off."_

Well. Clearly, that's a resounding 'no' to her earlier question. Madeleine tilts her head back and looks up towards the ceiling in an expression of pure 'Why me,' courtesy of Katakuri. "No. Stop destroying things."

Cracker bristles, teeth bared. Going by his reaction, that… probably wasn't the right thing to say, not if she wanted him to calm down sometime within the next few minutes.

… Why couldn't Brûlée be here instead? God knows her older sister would know exactly what to do in this situation, if she were in Madeleine's place.

Madeleine tightens her grip on her brother's shoulders from where she is gingerly perched upon his back, deliberately pressing down and digging into a paralysis point on his body none-too-gently when he tries to forcibly throw her off again. Can't he see that he's just damaging his own body and breaking expensive equipment with this idiocy?

… Did his defeat at the hands of Monkey D. Luffy really rattle him this much?

(Charlotte Cracker. One of the Four Sweet Commanders, the Minister of Biscuit. "Thousand Arms" Charlotte Cracker, tenth son of the Charlotte Family, one of the family's pillars, their pride and joy.

Her brother should be stronger than this.)

"I can't fail," Cracker's eyes darken. _"I can't fail, not like Snack._ Let me go kill the little rubber brat. I'll wring his little neck and–"

"No."

He's just going to kill himself by reopening all his injuries and dying from blood loss.

_"What do you understand?"_ her brother finally snaps, openly snarling. "I need to prove to Mama that it was just a mistake! These scratches are nothing. Unlike _someone,_ some of us can't afford to fail Mama."

Madeleine stiffens, eyes narrowing at the implication.

'Can't afford to fail?' How _dare_ he–

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Cracker sneers, and it's an ugly expression. "Mama is lenient with her children, but only to an extent. Of course you wouldn't care about any of it, though, little Miss Perfect. Have you ever even been punished by Mama before?"

It's only long hours of training with Katakuri day in and day out that allows her to push down the instinctive flinch that threatens her control, but Cracker just laughs in her face, strident and bitter and filled with some ugly emotion that she can't quite name.

Then, all of a sudden, he stops struggling. Her brother's body goes limp, and the girl has a sinking feeling–

"Oh, Madeleine," he smiles up at her. Calmly, beatifically. "… You really _are_ a little stone-cold bitch, aren't you?"

…

Madeleine looks at him. Really, _really_ looks at him. Charlotte Cracker. What does he know about the desperation to fulfill Mama's wishes? What does he know about the fear of never being enough, _not enough?_

(By reputation, Madeleine is molded into being perfect, untouchable. And she _is,_ she's worked hard to be. Madeleine is perfect, flawless. Except for when she isn't.)

… Punishment? Who does he think he is, to talk to her about _punishment?_

…

With a small start, Madeleine realizes that, for the first time in her life, she is actually considering fratricide on her own volition, outside of Mama's orders. The discovery leaves her _reeling,_ and she is suddenly hyperaware of the strained edge to her brother's smile, the unnatural tension in his body–

_He really thinks you're going to kill him._

The girl promptly stands up and releases her brother, as if burned.

"W-wait, Madeleine–"

No. She doesn't want to listen to any more of his words. A swift chop to the neck, and the man promptly slackens, unconscious.

Should've just done this from the very beginning.

.

.

"Madeleine?"

The girl flicks her gaze up for a moment, before looking away again. She's not the mood for any of this. Never was. Why does she even _bother?_ "… Brother Peros."

The older man regards her silently for a moment, then scowls. "I take it that Cracker went and said something stupid again, didn't he?"

How very astute of her eldest brother. Madeleine shrugs. She could've done without inadvertently discovering her brother's true thoughts about her, that's for sure.

Peros lets out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry for that, Madeleine. He should've known better."

She doesn't bother responding to that, either. Madeleine just silently trails behind her brother until they're inside the room, and abruptly collapses once she reaches the couch, curling into a boneless heap. There are a few other siblings who are already present here. She thinks Galette might've reached over and poked her a few times, but doesn't bother reacting.

She's just so very _tired._

"Mama's here!"

Madeleine immediately jerks up into attention… for all of three seconds, then listlessly falls back down when she realizes that it's just the arrival of Mama's personal Transponder Snail. Galette snickers from the side, while Opera reaches over from the side to give her a commiserating pat. Peros just sighs again.

(He seems to be doing that a lot around her these days. Suspicious.)

"Long day?" Opera asks offhandedly, but not unkindly. Madeleine manages a small nod, and he seems to be satisfied with that. "Feel free to take a break then, little sister. Mama just wants to talk with Straw Hat here because he left an _impression_ back on Fishman Island… Also, did you know that they've somehow managed to get their hands on Mama's Vivre Card?"

They what?

"I know, right?" her brother nods as if she'd given a verbal response. "At least it explains how they were able to make it through the Seducing Woods."

Seducing Woods. Cracker.

Madeleine lets her gaze slide away again.

"Let's see, let's see… shit, which page did I stick them in again?"

"Page 55."

"Right, thanks." Charlotte Mont d'Or flips his towering book open to the aforementioned number. He was the one usually placed in charge of prisoners, given his Devil Fruit ability to trap anything inside a World of Books. "Here we are!"

Straw Hat. Monkey D. Luffy and… girl. Probably another crew member.

Both of them look tired and worn; Straw Hat especially, considering his earlier battle. Not that this seemed to make him any less quiet as soon as Mont d'Or had opened the page they were imprisoned in.

"OI, WHAT'S WITH THIS WEIRD ROOM? LET US OUT!"

… For someone who was supposedly the 'protagonist,' Madeleine had expected to see something a little more… imposing? Someone with a little more situational awareness, at the very least. Straw Hat and his crewmate are _loud._

_"Long time no see, Straw Hat Luffy. So you've finally made it this far, hmm?"_

The renewed burst of noise that little comment from Mama invokes is enough to make Madeleine wish that she'd brought earplugs with her. She's starting to get a headache.

_"Well, well, well… Still quite lively, I see! You didn't bring along your entire crew, so I thought you'd forgotten the promise you made back on Fishman Island."_

"NO! _I didn't!_ I'll definitely come to kick your ass one day!" … Does the boy have a death wish? There are less painful ways to die. Many, many less painful ways. "But right now, _I'm just here to get Sanji back!"_

Vinsmoke Sanji?

… He infiltrated the territory of a Yonkou for a single crewmate? How very… thoughtless. Impulsive. Stupid. And none of his other crewmates stopped him?

The boy sucks in a deep breath, before bellowing, "IF YOU WANNA FIGHT, THEN GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! I'LL FIGHT YOU RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW, BIG MOM!"

Madeleine straightens marginally, waiting for the orders to come. _If that's what you want, Straw Hat, then I'll let Madeleine take care of things,_ Mama would say, and then she'd have to–

_"Hahahamamama!"_

Laughter?

Mama is… laughing?

_"Don't get cheeky with me now, kid. Hmph, you're just a tiny grain of sand in the great desert! Just a newbie who's full of himself since he entered the New World. How very presumptuous of you, trying to order me around like that. You do realize that I don't even need to be physically present if I wanted you dead at this very moment, right?"_

Oh. Oh, there it is. Madeleine leans over and reaches for her–

_"So, if you give up on Sanji, then I'll let you off this time around. How 'bout that?"_

Madeleine freezes.

What did she just hear? Did Mama just say that she'd… let them off? After sneaking into Totto Land as they did, after the whole ruckus they'd caused?

_"This union between Sanji and Pudding really means a lot to me,"_ Mama continues, easygoing and entirely dismissive of the impact of her words. Galette had even stopped tapping her foot against the ground. _"Until everything wraps up smoothly, I'll just have you two wait patiently in there. Don't worry, I'll let you go once everything is done. But if you try to do anything and ruin things for me, then…_

_… **get ready to see hell."**_

Yes, this sounds more like something Mama would say. And given that she's planning on keeping them trapped with Mont d'Or until the wedding… well, who's to say that she'd let them off without a scratch afterwards? Mama is a pirate, through and through.

_"Also, little girl, I've been wondering…"_ Suddenly, Mama's tone changes once more. She's addressing the girl now? Straw Hat she can understand, but why–

_"I hear that you killed Lola. Is that true?"_

.

.

**.EXTRA: A Drop of Honey**

"NO!" Nami screams. How could she… how could she even think that? _I hear that you killed Lola. Is that true?_ "I wouldn't– I'd never– _Lola is my friend!_ She gave me that Vivre Card as a symbol of our friendship!"

_You're headed for the New World, aren't you? This is my Mama's Vivre Card. My Mama's a really strong pirate in the New World, y'know! If you ever run into any trouble, you can just show her this Vivre Card with my signature._

Nami swallows roughly. Lola, you could've at least mentioned that your mom is one of the Yonkou! Didn't you think that a detail like that might be important?

"Lola… Lola wanted me to pass on a message to you. She said to tell you that she's doing well, and there's no need to worry about her," Nami says shakily, trying to steady herself and find her nerve again. "She told us that her mother was a strong pirate, but… we certainly didn't expect that it'd be you, Big Mom. Lola told us that as long as we came to you and showed you the Vivre Card that you would definitely help us ou–"

_**"BULLSHIT!"** _

… Huh?

_**"'Doing well?' Who cares if that insolent girl is doing well? Tell me where she is, so I can immediately send in an assassin to eliminate her!"** _

Nami can't believe her ears. What is she saying? What in the world is Big Mom saying? … Lola is her very own daughter!

Oblivious to her thoughts, the Transponder Snail quivers in rage, a mimicry of Big Mom's fury. _"… I can't believe that damned girl still even considers us to be family! That utter imbecile ran away from one of my most crucially planned political marriages of all time. She has no idea how I feel!"_

This… this is how Big Mom feels towards Lola? Nami thinks back to their days on Thriller Bark, to when she'd met Lola. Brave, smiling, confident Lola. _You and I are sisters-in-arms, Namizo!_ Oh, poor Lola, to think that the mother she'd spoken so fondly of actually wishes for nothing more than her death.

_Lola…_

_"That day… if she'd simply listened to me and obediently gone through with the marriage, I would've gained immense, unimaginable power! If it weren't for her idiotic rebellion, I would've been able to crush Kaido, Red-Hair, and even Whitebeard ages ago! **BY NOW, I WOULD'VE BEEN PIRATE KING!** "_

Nami flinches back from the sheer volume of that roar, a movement that is even mirrored by their jailors. Luffy, however, only sets his face in a stubborn scowl, and Nami feels her heart miss a beat.

Oh no. Oh no. She _knows_ that expression on her captain's face, knows that it means he's going to do something so very s–

"STUFF IT ALREADY, BIG MOM!" he hollers right back in the Yonkou's face. Mentally, Nami despairs. Here we go again. _"Lola_ is the one who didn't want to marry! _You're_ the one who hasn't become Pirate King! Stop throwing your weight around just 'cuz you're a Yonkou; I'll definitely get Sanji back. The one who will win in the end is _ME!"_

Oh, Luffy. Of course Nami is right behind each and every one of her captain's words, but there is a time and place for everything, y'know?! Some of their captors already look like they're ready to march over and rip them into shreds with their bare hands, book-prison be damned!

Strangely enough, however, it seems like Big Mom has actually calmed down with Luffy's outburst. _"Feh. You might talk big, Straw Hat, but you have nothing to back up your words. You really think you're any threat to me? I could crush you like an ant without even lifting a finger. And as for you, girl…"_

Nami stiffens, a sudden foreboding chill running down her spine as the Yonkou's attention returns to her, thick and looming.

_"… 'Lola's friend' Nami, is it? I'll definitely have you spit out that little traitor's location."_

"DON'T THREATEN MY NAVIGATOR!"

The rush of warmth from her captain's words is promptly offset by Big Mom's dismissive snort and subsequent words. _"Save it, Straw Hat. Do you really think you're in any position to be making demands right now?"_

…

This is bad. Really bad. Nami knew it would be dangerous to infiltrate a Yonkou's territory like this, but… this is really, _really_ bad. As in, worse than worst-case scenario bad. Big Mom might've promised to set them free after the wedding was over, but judging by what she'd seen of the woman's nasty character so far, Nami wasn't going to hedge her bets on that. They needed to find a way to escape, they needed to _get out_ of here, they needed to… to…

… and Sanji was being so _stupid…!_

…

"Intruders? More of them?"

"Reports say that they're in the treasure room."

"Treasure room, really? How'd they get over there?"

Going by this conversation from their captors, Brook and Pedro had been discovered, too. _Shit. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?_

"Let's go, then," the man with the large candy cane stands up from his seat, heading towards the door. "They probably won't need all of us there, but it's good to wrap things up as soon as possible. Opera, stay here and guard the prisoners. Ah, Madeleine, you can stay here as well.

"Got it, Brother Peros."

"…"

Nami surveys their two remaining captors as the others file out of the room. A strange, towering man with some white substance dripping from his body, no doubt the courtesy of some strange Devil Fruit. A slouching girl slumped over her knees, for all intents and purposes dead to the world around her. Nami knows better than to underestimate any of Big Mom's subordinates now, but she can't help but think, _If only we could get out of this blasted book…!_

At least then they'd have a fighting chance, with Luffy still fuming from Big Mom and raring to go.

"OI, LET US OUT ALREADY!"

Nami bites her lip tersely. They need to find a way to escape. Soon. They _have_ to.

… But how?

.


	7. scattered flowers (WCI Arc Part III)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part III: Jinbe! Jinbe is MVP.

.

Madeleine regrets staying behind.

_"Luffy, stop it! Please stop it already!"_

_"HYAAAAARGH!"_

… Really, really regrets staying behind. Straw Hat Luffy and… _Nami,_ are… loud. Very loud.

Madeleine still finds it perplexing, how the young pirate captain can remain so utterly undaunted despite his conversation with Mama earlier. There is absolutely no change in his behavior at all, aside from a renewed vigor in struggling against his bindings. No fear, no trepidation. How strange. Can he really be so oblivious to the threat that a Yonkou poses?

If that's the case, then it's nothing short of a true miracle that the boy is still alive today.

(Still alive, but not for long, considering what Madeleine knows of her mother's habits.)

She wonders what it says about Monkey D. Luffy that he'd had a more violent reaction to _Pudding's_ visit than being addressed directly by Big Mom. That ugly amalgamation of disbelief and rage and _betrayal_ spreading across his face when Pudding had laughed and said, _So long, you filthy little rats…!_

… Probably just a few more fools who fell victim to her sister's acts. Pudding lies and lies so much that it's difficult to tell if the girl can still even discern the truth anymore. Madeleine dislikes her sister, because sometimes it feels like looking into a mirror. Despite how markedly different they are from each other in terms of appearance, behavior, skills… in some ways, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Madeleine and Pudding are very, very similar to each other at their cores.

After all, they both _chose._

_"Luffy, please stop!"_

Madeleine quells the urge to reach for her swords. Peace and quiet. Is that really too much to ask for? There's a hoarse note to the Straw Hat navigator's voice now, strained and pleading, and the sound grates harshly against her ears.

"If you keep this up, you're going to _rip off your own hands!"_

"Yeah, that's the point!"

"WHAT?!"

Madeleine finally cracks open a bleary eye, only to be met with the mildly disturbing sight of Straw Hat's rubber-like body stretched and contorted in a way that is decidedly _unnatural_ in his lively attempt to 'rip off his own hands.' Silently, she observes how the sharp movements tear at the young man's existing wounds, bleeding copiously, and…

… yawns.

Opera subtly shifts a little further away from her, towards the other end of the couch. Something in his body language stiffens a little, even, which Madeleine blithely ignores.

_Apprehension, discomfort, unease._

Certainly, Opera has always _tried_ to be a good brother –he's nice enough, kind enough, concerned enough whenever they happen to cross paths with each other, so she cannot fault him for that. He tries, which is more than she can say for some of her other siblings. Still, Madeleine has always understood from the moment she returned from a mission soaked head to toe in blood and Opera just _balked_ at her, that it wouldn't be enough. Whatever he tried with her, it would never be enough.

Opera loves his siblings, and by extension, this means that he also loves Madeleine. He loves her, but only from a distance.

_"Do we have any other choice to get out of here? No! I'm telling you, I'd rather lose a hand or two than die in a place like this!"_

Madeleine eyes their noisy prisoners speculatively, the loudmouthed captain in particular. She's starting to get an actual headache from them, and it hasn't even been a full hour. Would Mama be particularly upset if she cut out their tongues?

… No, wait, she's not supposed to kill them yet.

Straw Hat scowls and continues struggling against his bindings with reckless fervor, eyes alight and burning bright with determination. Madeleine closes her eyes, but it's a futile attempt on her part that does absolutely nothing to block out his _irritating_ voice.

"Look, Nami, if we just sit around and wait uselessly, then everything will be over before we know it." The boy's eyes narrow heatedly from where he is trapped inside the prison. "And after that, Big Mom is just gonna come back and kill us! That is _not_ going to be how I meet my end, y'hear me?! Like hell I'm just going to wait for that! _I REFUSE!"_

Refuse all you want, Straw Hat. It's not going to change the reality of your situation.

Opera regards the young pirate with an expression that is strikingly akin to scorn –or pity. "You will not escape this cage, Straw Hat Luffy. Why must you persist with such useless struggles?"

The only response he receives is another inarticulate scream of determination, courtesy of a particularly harsh yank Straw Hat makes against the iron shackles pinning his hands. Next to him, his navigator shrieks, this time not so much from agitation as it is from _concern_ as Straw Hat's movement splatters blood across her entire face.

Opera winces. Madeleine side-eyes her brother, but holds her silence.

If Mont d'Or were present, he would've probably would've pulled a face and made some disparaging remark about their brother, who's always been a little too soft for his own good. If Perospero had stayed, he might've subtly narrowed his eyes and shaken his head at witnessing this behavior. _Weakness._ Katakuri wouldn't have said anything, but it would be a cold day in hell before he approved of any misplaced sympathy.

Madeleine says nothing. At this rate, there is no way that Opera will get around to interrogating the navigator for Lola's whereabouts before nightfall today.

(Chiffon was not the only one who'd suffered in wake of Lola's departure. Madeleine doesn't know how she feels towards Lola anymore, only that she never wants to see the other girl again.)

.

.

_Knock knock knock._

"Someone's at the door? Strange, I didn't think Peros and the others would be coming back so soon…" Opera hastily stands up and strides over to the entryway. Madeleine stares up at the ceiling listlessly.

Straw Hat's navigator has fallen silent for awhile, but the young captain's exuberant attempts to 'rip off his own arm' are still going as strong as ever. Morbidly, she wonders if she should step in at this point. Mama doesn't want him dead yet, so would she be blamed if Straw Hat ended up killing himself with his thoughtless antics? … Really, where is the boy's common sense?

From the doorway, Madeleine catches the soft sound of Opera sucking in a sharp breath. _"You!_ W-what are you doing here?"

Briefly, the girl contemplates getting up and taking a look at the unexpected guest. No. Too much effort. She's probably better off trying to feign sleep.

"Ah, greetings. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

It takes several long seconds for her brother to find his voice again. Shock, perhaps? Madeleine wouldn't know. Brûlée might. "You're not allowed to be on castle grounds right now! What in the world do you think you're doing, flouting Mama's orders like this? Hurry up and get out of here before anyone sees you!"

See? She's better off asleep.

"I appreciate the thought, but this place is already chaos, so it's not like things can get any worse at this point." There is the strong impression of a shrug accompanying those words.

'Chaos,' really? … Mama wouldn't be pleased. Should she head out after Peros? No, Smoothie should be on guard duty right now; there shouldn't be anything they couldn't handle together. Besides, Mama herself is in the castle, so it's–

"Also… my apologies, Opera."

Madeleine's eyes snap open.

No.

Too late.

_"Five-thousand Tile Justice Fist!"_

Madeleine leaps up and flips over the back of the couch, just in time to catch sight of her brother's gargantuan body slamming down in her direction at an alarming speed. _Fast._ Not quite fast enough to stop her, though. The girl kicks the couch towards her useless brother in a halfhearted attempt to cushion his landing, then turns to focus on the intruder.

Deep breath. Inhale, exhale.

It takes less than a second for her to cross the length of the room, sword drawn and aimed directly at the man's throat–

Blocked. No, parried. But not completely.

A solid ribbon of red trails the tip of her bone-white blade, and Madeleine spins on her heel, seamlessly closing in for a second strike without a single pause.

(Fighting and killing, killing and fighting. By unfortunate design, this is all that she's useful for.)

Peros was clear in his orders to Opera, and by extension the same applies to Madeleine as well. _Stay here and guard the prisoners._ Madeleine is much better at killing than she is at guarding, but it would be remiss of her to so blatantly forget her objectives, not to mention Opera's current… _incapacitated_ state.

The intruder draws back, and Madeleine lets him. She tilts her head.

"… Jinbe. What a surprise."

Surprise, indeed. Mama had been ever so pleased when Jinbe and his Sun Pirates had entered into her service. Once she received news of _this,_ she would certainly be disappointed. And Mama's disappointment is never a pleasant thing to face. Hm, which of her siblings should she find to play messenger?

"I could say the same, Madeleine. I did not expect to find you here," the blue-skinned fishman rumbles back in a low baritone, smooth and unhurried, despite how his actions scream nothing but betrayal. _Betrayal._ How can he remain so calm and unruffled about it? Madeleine doesn't understand. Unless…

She distinctly recalls something about a rumor of Jinbe asking to leave Big Mom's crew, but truthfulness of the rumor aside, she never would've imagined the former Shichibukai to go about doing so in such a spectacularly blatant fashion. Aiding the enemy, really?

_"JINBE!"_

"Jinbe, are you alright?!"

"Luffy, Nami." Briefly, Jinbe's eyes flicker towards the Straw Hat captives behind her, before returning to Madeleine in a heartbeat. Smart man. "I heard that you were captured, so I hurried on over here as fast as I could. Forgive me for saying so, but I wish we could've met again under better circumstances."

"That makes two of us, Jinbe," the navigator girl cries out, wilting in relief upon catching sight of the fishman. Vaguely, Madeleine wonders if she should be insulted by being so blatantly overlooked by the Straw Hats. Jinbe certainly seems to be wary. "You have _no idea_ how glad I am to see you again."

As heartwarming as the reunion happening over her head is, this is where she'll have to cut things off. Madeleine has been playing the role of the villain for years, and this is no different. She cuts off Jinbe's response by raising the sword in her hands and leveling it directly at his chest.

"I have my orders," she says simply. "… If you persist, you will die."

It's almost funny, the way the room suddenly falls silent.

_"The hell is wrong with you, woman?!"_

Ah, Straw Hat. What a healthy set of lungs you have on you.

"… Perhaps," Jinbe acknowledges her declaration, dipping his head. Yet his actions don't match the clear concession in his words, for he remains standing, resolute and unmoving. "But some things are worth dying for, wouldn't you agree?"

No.

_Survival above all else._ This is the creed she chose to live by, as Charlotte Madeleine.

The girl tightens her grip on her sword.

"What in the world are you talking about, Jinbe?!"

"My apologies, Nami. Luffy." This time, he does not take his eyes off of her. Something in his gaze hardens. Resolve. "Madeleine is one of the more dangerous members of Big Mom's crew. This… may take a little longer than expected."

How flattering.

Madeleine doesn't know _why_ the Straw Hats are on such good terms with Jinbe, but she knows that it doesn't mean anything good. Jinbe is strong. Fishmen physiques are naturally stronger than human ones, not to mention that Jinbe has the experience to match his skills. Truly, he is a dangerous opponent. This is precisely the reason why Mama had been so pleased to add his strength to the crew.

But Madeleine is a daughter of Big Mom. Though she is –arguably– human, there is the blood of a monster that runs in her veins. And from day one, she has been trained to kill.

She sighs.

Then, she _moves._

.

.

Fighting Jinbe is a lot like fighting her polar opposite, in terms of their respective skill sets. It makes for an interesting experience. Madeleine moves fast and strikes hard, killing blow after killing blow all flawlessly chained together one after another, but she's just a glass canon, compared to her brothers. In contrast, Jinbe is a solid, unmoving wall, the steady sea rock that stands firm against the howling riptide, and he matches her blow for blow.

Some might call it _unfair,_ fighting an unarmed opponent with a bladed weapon, but Madeleine cares little for such sentiments.

She ducks under a punch that would've knocked her head clean off of her shoulders, and returns it with a long, sweeping horizontal swing at his midsection. For a man of such a large stature, Jinbe is surprisingly nimble. Why can't Opera take a page from his book? Her brother is still laid out flat on his back in the corner, utterly unresponsive to anything and everything.

Jinbe grunts, taking one of her strikes head on. Madeleine's eyes narrow, even as her blade carves a bloody swathe across his body, because clearly it's something well within his abilities to avoid–

"YEAH JINBE!"

A glancing blow. The girl bites down on her tongue, tasting blood, and the fresh pain clears her head. His palm strike resulted in a crater in the wall clear on the other end of the room. She's going to have a very impressive set of bruises on where he caught her on her side tomorrow.

… Injury for injury. So that's his game, is it?

"AHHH! Jinbe! Are you alright?!" Oh, so now the peanut gallery notices the blood on their friend? Idiots. The Straw Hats are such _idiots._

… Jinbe is an idiot, too. If he wants to free the Straw Hat prisoners, then he's going to have to _put her down,_ and that's not something he can do in such a short timeframe. And they _are_ on a time limit here; Madeleine might not be able to kill him on short notice like this, but all she has to do is hold out until reinforcements arrive. There's no way that Jinbe isn't aware of this.

Seems like he's going to start getting serious now. Well. Not like she's been going full-out with her abilities, either…

"There's really no way for me to convince you to step aside, Madeleine?"

The girl shakes her head mutely, and Jinbe huffs out a small laugh. She blinks in confusion. It's an obvious answer. Why is he laughing? What's laughable about this situation?

… It's a diversion, isn't it? Madeleine readies her sword and–

_"Wait!_ H-Hang on, your name is… Madeleine?"

The only reason she doesn't ignore the sudden interruption and continue trying to take off the fishman's head is because of the Straw Hat navigator's subsequent rush of words: _"Lola has a message she asked me to bring you!"_

Madeleine stills.

_Lola?_

…

… Lola.

Sweet, caring, _naïve_ Lola. Lola, who left Totto Land because she refused to settle for an arranged marriage. Lola, who left her family behind in pursuit of adventure. Lola, who _abandoned_ them all without a second thought, when it was _her_ happiness at stake.

No. No, Madeleine still remembers the crippling loneliness of her younger years, and while it never _bothered_ her, because she had more important things to be worrying about, because she had a _goal_ to work towards, Lola's company was… it was…

… Lola is a traitor.

Lola is a traitor.

_Lola is a traitor._

Mama had been very clear in her orders regarding this particular daughter. _If you ever find out where Lola escaped to–_

"She said… she said that, if we ever ran into her little sister 'Madeleine,' then tell her that–"

_"Shut up."_

Madeleine's hands tighten on the hilt of her sword, knuckles whitening.

_Why?_

… It doesn't matter what she feels. Lola left, abandoned them all. She even abandoned her own twin. As the only Charlotte to defy Mama and _survive,_ the least she could do is have the decency to ride off into the sunset with her nameless prince charming and never. Look. Back. Basic decency, really. How can anyone be so reckless, so oblivious, so _stupid?_

"… I don't care." Even to her own ears, it sounds like her voice is coming from a distance. Cold. Detached. Unmoved. "Lola is a traitor. Why would I care about what a traitor has to say?"

She doesn't turn to look at the navigator's expression. Madeleine already knows what she'll find, and she's perfectly fine with that, because–

_'Lola's friend' Nami, is it? I'll definitely have you spit out the little traitor's location._

–she can't risk it. Not when Mama made her stance on this matter so clear.

"You… you, too?" The words are only a whisper, but she hears them anyways. How can she not? "Big Mom was one thing, but… Lola spoke so fondly of you, back on Thriller Bark. _You, too?"_

Madeleine doesn't care. Ask anyone in Totto Land, and they'll tell you that Charlotte Madeleine is a cruel and heartless creature. It's not a lie.

So no, she's not interested in hearing anything from Lola.

She couldn't care less about it.

.

.

(If she doesn't hear from Lola, then she won't be expected to know where she is. And if she doesn't know where Lola is, then how can she be expected to hunt her down?)

.

.

Madeleine is distracted. That's… not good.

If Nami's little interjection earlier with Lola was meant as a diversion… certainly, it's a successful one.

Breathe. Inhale, exhale.

_Focus._

Madeleine clicks her tongue when she is clipped by another of Jinbe's heavy blows, but manages to score a thin line across his chest. A little deeper, and she might've been able to reach his organs.

Sloppy. She hasn't been this sloppy in a long, long time. It's… it's probably a good thing that no one else is watching from the sidelines right now, and Opera is unconscious. Katakuri would have her _head_ for this, and Cracker–

Madeleine falters again, and Jinbe quickly presses his advantage with another onslaught of strikes, forcing her onto the defensive.

_Damn it, Cracker._

… At this rate, she's going to have to use her Devil Fruit ability. Madeleine _hates_ using her Devil Fruit ability. She's skilled with it, Katakuri has made sure of that –but she'd really, really rather not use it. And it's not like she's no match for Jinbe without her ability; even distracted, there's no feasible way for him to get past her and reach the prisoners–

"I'LL TAKE CARE OF THINGS OVER HERE! LEAVE IT TO ME! GO HELP LUFFY AND NAMI, JINBE!"

What.

Is that. Is that a _moose_ charging at her?

The… thing. Some moose-deer-monster thing.

… Where the _fuck_ did it suddenly come from?

She and Opera had been the only ones in this room; even Jinbe had entered from the doorway. Madeleine is certain of this. There was no one else inside the room with them, aside from the prisoners trapped in her brother's books. But then, how…?

Utterly blindsided, Madeleine is barely able to block the moose-thing in time, and the force behind its full-body charge sends her _flying._

"My thanks, Chopper."

No.

No.

No, this won't do. Freeing the prisoners? Not on her watch.

Staggering, Madeleine claws her way up from the rubble.

**"Sleep,"** she commands, and the world separates into two.

.

.

The day Brûlée ate the Mirror Mirror Fruit and became a Mirror woman, Madeleine devoured the Dream Dream Fruit.

She hates it.

… Oh, it's certainly a useful ability. The fruit allows for the creation of a 'dream world,' superimposed over the real one –there are certain drawbacks, of course; nothing that occurs in the 'dream world' is lasting, and there are ways for those caught within the trap to escape it themselves. But even still, it's undeniably useful. It's nearly impossible to distinguish the differences between the 'dream world' and the 'real world,' which… is precisely the reason why Madeleine prefers to abstain from using her ability, most of the time.

Cracker might see it as arrogance, a sort of 'I don't even need to use my Devil Fruit ability to beat you, so there,' attitude, but the truth of the matter is…

It's so very _easy,_ to lose oneself in their dreams. Thank goodness Katakuri had decided to check in on her when she had activated her ability for the first time.

(Madeleine has done her research, afterwards. The last few users of the Dream Dream Fruit had all fallen prey to the madness of their own dream constructs, driven insane. It's tempting, sometimes, but…

Survival above all else. All. Else.)

In the real world, all remains still and unmoving. But in the dream world, Madeleine vanishes in front of the moose-reindeer creature just as it is bearing down on her, heedless of its startled shout, and instantaneously reappears right on top of Jinbe as he is nearing the prisoners clear across the room.

Without a single shred of hesitation, Madeleine plunges her sword down.

"JINBE!"

… Tch. She'd aimed to cut his entire body in half, but the fishman had somehow managed to avoid the blow at the very last moment, twisting aside and successfully averting certain death…

But in the process, losing his entire left arm.

_"YOU BASTARD! JINBE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? JINBE!"_

The fishman gives a pained grunt, immediately ripping off part of his sleeve and tightly tying it around the stump that remains of his arm. Even despite the debilitating pain, he is able to avoid the following strike aimed at his right arm. Admirable. And then Madeleine is forced to dart back, retreating from the moose-thing bellowing in rage.

The ensuing brawl is… messy. Madeleine flits between them like a ghost, for this is _her_ dream-realm, and–

She stills, eyes narrowed.

_Another intruder? Where in the world are they all coming from?_

There's no avoiding it, then.

**"Wake."**

The dream world collapses. Another drawback of her ability: Only people within her 'range' upon the activation of her ability are dragged into the dream world; any new arrivals are subsequently overlooked.

Madeleine's eyes snap open to see… a… rabbit?

… What's with all the animals running around? First a moose-thing, and now a rabbit-thing? Minks?

Madeleine is _so done._ While the others in the room are disoriented from what appears to be a sudden 'rewind' in time, Madeleine takes the moment of distraction and lunges forward, stabbing the rabbit directly through the chest just as it reaches the book that Straw Hat and his navigator are trapped in. There is a high-pitched shriek of pain and a lot of screaming, but right as Madeleine draws back and prepares to cut the rabbit girl in two, it–

–disappears.

_Disappears, along with the entire book._

Instead of a dead rabbit girl, Madeleine's sword slams into a _mirror,_ jagged shards flying everywhere.

… Suddenly, everything makes sense again. _Everything makes sense_ with perfect, terrible clarity.

After all, there is only one person with the ability to travel using mirrors.

(In the silence of the room, only interspersed by the harsh edge of her own breathing, her heart has never sounded so loud in her ears. Why? What is this reaction? Why is the fear of failure, of failing to guard the prisoners for Mama –why does it seem like even her terror comes second to this cold, cold rage crystallizing in her chest?)

_"… Brûlée."_

.

.

Peros would not care. Mont d'Or would laugh. Galette would nibble thoughtfully at the bottom of her lip and frown, but in the end, she wouldn't do anything about it.

Cracker… she doesn't even want to think about Cracker anymore.

…

It takes awhile, for Madeleine to find her brother's whereabouts. The slightly battered and bloody girl drops down next to Katakuri in a heap on the chair next to his desk, earning herself a raised eyebrow as the man looks up from his paperwork.

"Brother, there is something you should know. Sister Brûlée is…"

.

.

**.EXTRA: Sugarplums, Remember?**

Charlotte Chiffon smiles.

"A _warthog_ zombie, really? Goodness, it seems like Lola has gotten herself into no end of trouble."

"Yeah," the young navigator from Straw Hat's crew laughs, and it's a bright, cheerful sound. Nami. Chiffon can see why her sister would like the girl. "Thriller Bark was certainly an _experience,_ and that's probably the best way I can put it."

For a moment, the shower room falls into amiable silence. Chiffon appreciates the way Nami recounted the tale of how the Straw Hats encountered Lola –it's good to hear about how her sister is doing, after so many years of silence. It's good to know that she's still _alive._ She knows that their battle against Gekko Moria must've been _dangerous,_ from the way Nami makes vague generalizations of the way the actual fighting went down, but the other girl just smiles and laughs it off. It takes a certain sort of bravery, to be able to laugh at one's near-death like that.

Chiffon had been surprised, when Jinbe had reached out to contact her husband. She did not expect to see Jinbe so active, not after his falling out with Mama recently. But when he spoke of Straw Hat's goal of rescuing his crewmate Vinsmoke Sanji, and taking into consideration Bege's own plans to assassinate Mama at the Tea Party wedding…

Well. Two heads together are better than one, right?

Chiffon certainly hoped that this alliance between the Straw Hats and Fire Tank Pirates would work out. It would be the least she could do, to repay the Straw Hats and Nami for aiding her twin sister. And it helps that the Straw Hats are strong in their own right; not everyone can boast to have successfully escaped from Big Mom's prison.

"… Is Jinbe going to be alright?"

"Hm? Yes! Of course!" Chiffon had been surprised to see all the blood, the way he favored one leg over the other while walking and the way his left arm hung limply at his side. Luckily, Bege always keeps the medical supplies well-stocked. And… "Have a little more faith in your friend, Nami. Jinbe is a tough man. Your crew's doctor is with them too, right?"

"Uh-huh. You're right. Chopper will definitely make sure things are alright." The girl is silent for a moment. "… It all went by so quickly. I couldn't– I mean, we already fought that biscuit guy earlier, and he was _crazy,_ but… damnit. Is everyone from Big Mom's crew an absolute _monster?"_

Chiffon blinks, cocking her head. Attitude is half the recipe in making something successful. Where did all that confidence from earlier go?

Actually… hang on a moment. If she's talking about who Chiffon thinks she's referring to… "Nami, can you describe _who_ are we talking about here, exactly?"

"Pink hair, black eyes. She didn't… she seemed so _normal_ at first, like she was falling asleep on her feet or something. But then when Jinbe entered the room she suddenly had swords out and she–!"

Chiffon sighs. Yes, that would do it. "Ah, I see you've had the misfortune of meeting little Madeleine."

"Yeah, Madeleine," Nami muttered. "… Just wondering, was Lola close with her? Somehow, I'm having a lot of trouble imagining it."

"Why do you ask?"

"Back on Thriller Bark, Lola said that if we ever met her little sister Madeleine, then we should tell her that 'Lola will definitely come back and show you what true love is one day.' But her _reaction_ to it, Chiffon… as soon as she heard 'Lola' she just–"

Chiffon shakes her head. "Knowing Madeleine, I can imagine what her reaction might be. Even from a young age, she was always very… cold. Uncaring. Madeleine cares for nothing, save our mother's orders. Lola always likes to look on the bright side of things, so she probably saw it as silent support for her, or something, but…"

But Chiffon remembers the way the girl had glanced at her, after Chiffon collapsed from a particularly brutal round of punishment from their mother years and years ago. The younger girl had looked _through_ her, as if Chiffon didn't even exist –and it was so chilling an expression to see on the face of a girl so young.

Madeleine is heartless. Worse than Peros, because unlike their eldest brother, she doesn't even bother hiding it, and it's… _unnerving._

At the Tea Party, she'll certainly be one of their obstacles. She and the rest of her siblings. But Chiffon trusts her husband, and she has faith in the Straw Hats; no matter what stands in their way, surely they will be able to overcome it.

Surely, they will.

.


	8. candlelight, burning bright (WCI Arc Part IV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part IV: Madeleine's contradictory headspace, ow. Also, quick appearance by Bege.

.

_"Madeleine! What in the world are you…? H-hold still for a moment here, I'll get a doctor–"_

_"Again, so soon?! … Try to be a little more careful next time; let me grab the bandages…"_

_"What do you mean, 'why are you here again?' You ungrateful little– you're literally bleeding everywhere! Get down from that tree right now or so god help me–"_

_"… That looks like a nasty cut, alright. Here, let's get it cleaned up first…"_

_"Okay, what was it this time? Poisoned darts? Arrows? … Don't pretend you didn't see me, you little–"_

.

.

Madeleine opens her eyes, her currently-absent sister's voice ringing a phantom echo in her ears. It's…

… annoying.

…

… Yes, annoying. That sounds about right.

Brûlée frets and worries but always, always hides it under a ridiculous veneer of sharp-edged grins and ghostly cackles. It's what allows her to get along so well with the majority of their siblings. The others generally laugh along with her, take her antics in good stride, and allow themselves to care for Brûlée, if only by a little bit. By whatever measure their shriveled hearts allow.

(Brûlée, who always takes things in stride. Brûlée, who always seems to know what to say, and how to say it.)

Truth be told, Madeleine never quite knows how to deal with this older sister of hers.

Because Brûlée, Brûlée is not like Katakuri, who is brother and teacher and untouchable role model all rolled into one. With Katakuri, Madeleine is clear on her position in relation to him. Sister and student and an unrefined blade to hone into a fine-edged weapon for the family. She knows her position, knows where she stands, and acts accordingly.

Peros is superior officer. Opera is _useless._ Cracker…

… to hell with Cracker.

The point being: Brûlée is weird. She's not one of Mama's favorites, but she's trusted with sensitive, important tasks all the same. Governance, administration. Brûlée has a hand in most inner workings of Totto Land, despite the initial impression of silliness that she gives off.

Perhaps… perhaps, similar to Pudding… it's all just an act?

… If one can keep up the same act day in and day out for well over two decades, it might as well be real.

She's not quite sure when Brûlée wedged herself into her life, exactly, or when the woman developed an unerring sixth sense for knowing whenever Madeleine came back injured from her assignments. Madeleine tries to hide, in the beginning, because if she can't make sense of what Brûlée wants from her, then surely it would be fine to just avoid the woman instead?

… Unfortunately, the local sentient wildlife tends to side with her older sister over her. Probably because they know Madeleine isn't allowed to kill any of them. Baum is the worst of the lot. And considering that Brûlée had once threatened to drag Katakuri with her to hunt Madeleine down on a particularly memorable occasion… suffice to say, it became very obvious early on that hiding was not a viable option.

Unlike Opera, Brûlée would always, always meet her eyes even when Madeleine came back soaked head to toe in blood.

So, Madeleine tolerates her sister. Lets her clean her cuts and patch up her injuries… then redoes the entire process herself because clearly, first aid is not one of Brûlée's strong points. In the beginning, at least. She lets the older woman drag her to the hospital, when her injuries are particularly serious. She lets her ramble on and on about whatever's been going on in Totto Land lately, areas that Mama has set her sights on for expanding her territory, _What about you Madeleine how have you been lately did you–_

The girl doesn't understand. Madeleine doesn't _understand._ Really, if she didn't know any better, she'd almost say that Brûlée _cared,_ which is… ridiculous, for a Charlotte.

(She'd once thought Lola cared, and look where that got her.)

_What do you want?_

_Mama wants me to be obedient. Katakuri wants me to be a weapon. Peros wants me to be an unspoken terror to our enemies and a tacit threat to keep our allies in line._

_What do you want from me, sister?_

…

… Still, for all her hesitance, her confusion, it seems like Madeleine doesn't know herself quite as well as she'd thought, given her knee-jerk reaction of _alarm_ to learning of her sister's capture during Straw Hat's jailbreak.

Mirrors. _Brûlée._

Sister Brûlée had been captured by the Straw Hats. There was no other explanation for the truth lain out before her eyes when the prisoners escaped, proof that was only reinforced by the jagged mirror shards cutting into her skin.

Brûlée had never been particularly strong, as a combatant. Still, Madeleine hadn't thought that this would equate to her sister being captured by newbie pirates in the very heart of Mama's territory, without raising any alarm at all. How could something of this magnitude go unnoticed?

(But considering that she hadn't managed to prevent Straw Hat's escape, either, perhaps…)

When had the Straw Hat Pirates even managed to kidnap her sister, anyways? She remembered Brûlée mentioning that she was headed for the Seducing Woods earlier, but wasn't that–

Hold on, hadn't Cracker _returned_ from the Seducing Woods in such a heavily injured state?

"… Madeleine?"

She glances up, blinking. "Yes, brother?"

A pointed silence. Madeleine follows her older brother's line of sight downwards, and belatedly realizes that her grip had gotten a little too strong. She's accidentally broke the jar of medicine that she had been given to apply to her body, lost in her thoughts as she had been.

_First Lola, now Brûlée._

… It shouldn't be like this. Bluntly speaking, _none_ of them should be able to affect her like this. Not Lola, and not Brûlée. No one. Vague affection is something that Madeleine still feels from time to time, but not to the extent that it becomes so consuming, so _distracting._

Distractions, after all, are liable to get someone killed, no matter how capable they might be. Madeleine knows this. And really, why would she be so affected by trivial things like this, things that are of no real significance to her? Lola… Lola already cut her ties with the Charlotte Family. Brûlée is a busybody who is always looking for some task to keep herself busy. She doesn't really–

She doesn't understand. She shouldn't be making such a big deal out of things. There shouldn't be something so cold and icy pressing down inside her chest. Something is _strange_ about this reaction, something wrong, and she doesn't–

There's glass in her hand, ow.

… Right, the jar. The broken medicine jar.

"My mistake," she quietly apologizes to Katakuri, cautiously flexing her new self-inflicted injury and testing the extent to which it will affect her ability. Thankfully, it doesn't seem like the cuts are too deep. The mess of powdered medicine and glass shards on her lap is going to be a pain to clean up, though.

_"Forget the jar, Madeleine."_

She looks up, tilting her head questioningly, unsure of how to place this peculiar tone that has entered her brother's voice.

Katakuri's brows furrow. "… Tell me what's wrong. Is there something else that you're concerned about, aside from Brûlée?"

Strange. How strange. Is it really so obvious that there's something _off_ about her today that even Katakuri of all people feels obliged to call her out on it?

Madeleine isn't blind, nor is she deaf. She knows what others say about her, the whispers of _cruel_ and _heartless_ when they think her back is turned. They're not wrong about it, because the simple truth of the matter is that Madeleine _does not care._

Madeleine. Does not. _Care._

She doesn't care about any of the injuries she sustains, so long as she accomplishes the tasks that Mama has set out for her. She doesn't care about the curses hurled towards her in grief and in hatred, so heavy and poignant that surely, surely if hatred were a tangible thing, then she would be crushed to death beneath its staggering weight. She doesn't care that her siblings, the only ones of all people in this mad, mad world who should understand _why_ Madeleine has become what she is, the only others who know what it's like to live under constant terror under someone like Big Mom, they don't– they don't–

Why can't any of them see? _Why don't they understand?_

…

… It's easier, then, to just not care about anything in the first place. So, she doesn't care about what happens to herself. She doesn't care about what others think of her. She doesn't care about her siblings. She doesn't care, not as long as she still lives and breathes and–

(Isn't it tiring, living like this? A life like this –what's even the point?)

She doesn't care. Can't care. No, Madeleine realizes her mistake now. She _won't_ let herself care. Is that the way she should've approached this from the very beginning? No room for mistakes like Lola, like Brûlée, like Cracker, like–

Ah, Katakuri is looking at her strangely. Has she remained silent for too long? If that's the case…

"Nothing's wrong," the young girl tells her brother simply, clenching tight her bloodied hand. It helps, using pain to force her mind to focus again. Carefully, she arranges her lips into a small smile.

"There's no need for any concern, brother."

Absolutely no need at all.

.

.

_"Almost time, it's almost time! Get ready for the wonderful Tea~ Party~!"_

.

.

As a precaution against Brûlée, all mirrors have been cleared out from the top floor of Whole Cake Castle. A subtle move on their part ensuring that there would be no alternate passages for the Straw Hats to sneak in or launch an offensive strike from by way of her sister's convenient ability. All entries to Mama's Tea Party would be properly manned and carefully guarded.

The head of the security detail, Capone Bege, certainly hadn't seemed very pleased by the way Katakuri had 'spontaneously' decided to come down and watch over the main gates himself. Most likely, the newly-promoted Rook had taken Katakuri's unannounced appearance as doubt in his abilities. An affront against his skills.

There were no more complaints from Bege after Katakuri took out an uninvited troublemaker who would've killed several of his crew members, though.

... What was that troublemaker's name again? The crazed man had mentioned it somewhere in his rant, but Madeleine doesn't really remember… not that it matters…

(Nothing matters when you're dead. It's only when you're still living, that there is reason to care. But even then, caring is such a useless thing to do, so why bother?)

"I've just received word from Peros that the Underworld Heads have arrived. All guests are present and accounted for," Katakuri informs her, as they finally stand up to leave. No sign of Straw Hat at all from any of the entrances, which is… interesting. As loud and brash as the young captain was, he didn't strike her as the halfhearted type to just give up on things part-way through. Wasn't he determined to retrieve his Vinsmoke crewmate? Something about this situation didn't seem quite right…

To the side, Bege makes a funny sort of expression on his face, almost as if he can't believe why she would just follow her brother along and do absolutely nothing from start to end on the sidelines. But it's not like Katakuri needed her help… and unlike Katakuri, Madeleine could care less about what happened to Bege's subordinates.

"It's time we make our way over as well."

"Yes, brother."

… Ever since informing him of Brûlée's situation and cleaning up her injuries in his office, it seems like he's been slightly reluctant to let her out of his sight, which is… confusing. Of all people, Katakuri should have the clearest idea of her abilities, which means he knows full well that these light scratches are nothing to her; if anything, her fight with Jinbe is only a minor altercation at best. It would take a lot more than something like this to compromise her combat strength. She knows this. Katakuri knows this.

Then, why?

(Madeleine doesn't know.)

"… Opera told Mont d'Or that the Straw Hats died in the ruckus that was raised in the castle earlier, after he woke up."

That's… not really surprising, considering Opera's personality. Truth be told, Madeleine had half-expected him to shove all the responsibility onto her, rather than go along with a blatant, paper-thin lie like that. Why would he try to lie, knowing the consequences of the fallout?

"They're not dead," she says. Straw Hat had escaped through her sister's mirrors right in front of her very own eyes.

"I know," Katakuri nods. Briefly, Madeleine wonders if she should feel honored that Katakuri chooses to believe her over their brother. No. For all of his soft nature, Opera is no less determined than Madeleine when it comes to covering his own tracks, saving his own skin. Madeleine is just a little more discrete about it. "He's been stationed elsewhere, for the time being. We'll deal with his 'punishment' for lying after everything is over."

'We,' not 'Mama.' There's a marked difference between the two, and Madeleine says nothing about it. What is there to say?

Nothing and nothing.

There is nothing else she needs to think about right now. Focus on the wedding ceremony. If all goes according to plan, as it seems like it will, then that's fine. Perfectly fine. But on the off-chance that things don't, if Straw Hat somehow manages to turn up at the Tea Party regardless of their security measures…

… Feelings? Feelings are irrelevant.

Madeleine is a weapon. Point her and shoot.

.

.

_"Welcome, honored guests! Feast upon the exquisite delicacies we have prepared; sing with the joyous music of our angelic choir! The ceremony shall soon begin. Today, we have gathered to celebrate the union of the Big Mom Pirates and the Germa 66! The beautiful union of one of the four infamous Yonkou, and the legendary 'Armies of Evil.'"_

_"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present to you: The thirty-fifth daughter of the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Pudding! The third son of the Vinsmoke Family, Vinsmoke Sanji!"_

_"Applaud, my friends, applaud!"_

_"Let this royal wedding… commence!"_

.

.

**.EXTRA: Syrup Sweet**

"It's done, Father. Everything is in place. It was rather difficult to sneak in that mirror at the bottom of the cake, but we've managed it."

Capone 'Gang' Bege smiles. "Good job. You've worked hard, everyone."

Assassination of a Yonkou. It's the sort of thing that gets his blood boiling –assassinations always have, and it was his goal for becoming a subordinate of Big Mom in the first place. A man should always aim big; what better way to make his mark in the New World by taking down one of the Yonkou?

Not to mention…

Chiffon. He didn't expect to… Chiffon was unexpected. Bege didn't expect to come to love the Charlotte daughter whose hand he was given in marriage, but he doesn't regret it. He even has a son now, little Pez –who would've thought? Certainly, he has high hopes for his little tyke.

That's a little neither here nor there, though. At the moment, they need to buckle down and concentrate on the assassination. So many sleepless nights of plotting and preparation; there's no way that he's letting this go down the drain. He hadn't expected on getting Straw Hat involved in it, but having the brash young captain and his crew would certainly be helpful.

Big Mom's crew is full of monsters, after all.

Standing at the forefront of them all, Charlotte Katakuri. The strongest of Big Mom's children, a man with a bounty totaling over _one billion._ He'd trained his Observation Haki to the point where it was even possible for him to catch glimpses of the future. The man had more than proved it earlier, too, back when he saved Bege's men a short while ago –and it's a little chilling, knowing that they are fully committed to making an enemy out of someone as dangerous as this.

That sister of his wasn't any better. Charlotte Madeleine… he still can't believe Straw Hat and his crew were able to escape from under her watch. Knowing what she does for Big Mom, the massive kill count she's accrued over the years…

She hadn't said anything as she silently accompanied her brother, flitting behind the man like a ghost, but that didn't make Bege any less wary of her. 'Devil' Madeleine. He'd been relieved to see her go without a single word spoken in his direction –he doesn't know if it's arrogance or disinterest, but he would really rather not catch her attention, not at a sensitive time like this.

Surprisingly enough, there were faint hints of bandage wrappings that he could see on her body, hinting at light injuries. Clearly, she did not come out unscathed from Straw Hat's escape… which only spoke good things about the young captain's abilities. And Jinbe's.

It helps, seeing her in an injured state, when she usually appears the same as Katakuri. Perfect and immaculate and utterly untouchable. It helps remind him that even monsters are human, are _mortal,_ and as long as a man can die, there are ways of killing him. No one is exception to this.

Killing Big Mom will be difficult, but Bege has never backed down from a challenge.

… They are monsters, yes. Katakuri and Madeleine and Perospero… there are so many monsters in Big Mom's crew that it's impossible to try and count them all. But they are not infallible. Cut them and they'll bleed, kill them and they'll die. In the end, it's really just that simple.

Monster-slaying is only natural, isn't it?

"C'mon, boys. We've got an assassination to be getting to… what do you mean, _Straw Hat and his crew are sleeping?!_ For fuck's sake, the goddamned ceremony is starting soon!"

.


	9. WEDDING CAKE (WCI Arc Part V)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part V: Madeleine has an epiphany, courtesy of Jinbe.

.

Gunshot.

She knows the plan, knows how things are meant to play out. Pudding will shoot Sanji. Her little sister will pull the trigger on her gun the moment he lifts her veil and freezes at the sight of her third eye; the sound of her gunshot will then be the signal for their other siblings to open fire on the rest of the Vinsmokes.

Bang, bang, bang.

Dead, dead, dead.

… This is not what happens. Firstly, Sanji is still alive. Secondly–

"Oh dear," Galette murmurs quietly, rising to her feet. Something trembles in her voice, a small stumble in her words. "What in the world are we going to… this is _not_ part of the plan."

Understatement, that. Her sister certainly has a talent for stating the obvious.

Briefly, Madeleine spares a quick glance backwards. Good thing Peros had his wits about him; he'd already had the Vinsmokes held at gunpoint even before the situation rapidly devolved into what it currently is.

( _Initiative._ Something that she herself is rather lacking in, admittedly.)

Currently, there are nearly eighty Straw Hats are running loose… no, that needs to be rephrased. There are approximately eighty-odd _copies_ of the Straw Hat captain, Monkey D. Luffy, running around wildly in the Tea Party, enthusiastically destroying and eating things like an absolute animal. Nearly eighty Straw Hats that had all simultaneously burst out of Head Chef Streusen's wedding cake, at that.

… Madeleine is a little dizzy at the moment. Lightheaded. In all honesty, the sight is utterly _ridiculous,_ but nonetheless it still makes something in her veins run cold, because–

No, this really isn't the time to be wondering about how Straw Hat managed to get in to the Tea Party. Really, really isn't. Stop the chaos. First, stop the chaos. Everything else comes afterwards.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices one of the Straw Hats suddenly making a beeline in Mama's direction, only to be stopped by Katakuri. Her brother's leg stretches a long arc through the air in to subdue Straw Hat without any further disturbance to their guests. Madeleine only takes a single moment to confirm this before she turns her attention to the clean-up, knowing that her siblings have things under control.

_"What do you think you're doing, Katakuri? Are you trying to **save** me? You're nothing but a lowly child of mine, don't presume to overstep your–"_

_"No, Mama. This guy is after Mother Caramel's picture!"_

Her siblings have things under control.

Everything is under control.

… So, Madeleine needs to play her part, too. Clean-up. Dispose of all the fake Straw Hats running around, rather than facing Mama and her ire.

Straw Hat has no idea what monster he provoked, thoughtlessly destroying the wedding cake right in front of Mama to make his grand entrance. Mama had been looking forward to the wedding cake for so _long;_ it's nothing short of a miracle that somehow Katakuri has gotten their mother to focus on Straw Hat. To focus her anger on the impudent, reckless young pirate, rather than the destruction of her long-anticipated wedding cake.

Madeleine might not care much for her siblings, but there's no denying that it would be a huge loss to the family if Katakuri, their strongest pillar aside from Mama herself, were to be lost. Doubly so, if such a thing would happen by Mama's own hand. It's not a pleasant possibility to be thinking about, but there are many… precedents.

(How unfortunate.)

Madeleine makes short work of the mass of Straw Hat mirror clones, fragile images that they are. There's quite a number of them, but they're only mindless monkeys and lions and dogs from the forest. She tries to keep the bloodstains to a minimum. Mama is fond of a rich, vibrant red, but only the red that comes from the blood of her enemies, not _animals._

It's good that she keeps an absent eye on the proceedings with Straw Hat while she's taking care of the absolute mess he's made of things, because this means she catches the way surprise creeps over her mother's face when someone suddenly uses water –no, _tea_ – to free Straw Hat from her brother, a solid strike that–

Jinbe.

… Somehow, she's not surprised.

Quietly, Madeleine leaves the few remaining animal-Straw Hat clones to her other siblings involved in "clean-up" and drifts back to her mother's side. No matter how reluctant she might inwardly be to be anywhere near Mama when she's in a sensitive state, it's best to be careful when it comes to someone like Jinbe.

As for Jinbe…

The fishman's left arm hangs limp and useless at his side, lingering proof of their short altercation in the Dream World where she'd briefly gotten the drop on him. But Madeleine feels no satisfaction from it. Unlike Cracker, she has never derived joy from causing pain, for all the people she's killed. Madeleine knows of the strange habits some of her siblings have developed –deliberately inflicting injuries, learning to _like_ the sensation of holding a blade in their hands and carving through flesh, and sometimes she can't help but wonder if it's some sort of coping mechanism, or if it's really a part of the Charlotte blood. Who knows? In the end, all she can do is take comfort in knowing that she herself isn't so far gone. Yet.

It's not like injuries suffered in the Dream World are real, anyways. Given a few days to a week, Jinbe would regain regular use of his arm.

… Probably.

"Taking the side of the criminal who destroyed my cake… truly, you surprise me, Jinbe. I see that you're not going to give up on quitting my crew, hm?" Mama's eyes gain a cold, cruel gleam with these words, and even though none of this is aimed at her, Madeleine still feels the chill to her very bones. Unconsciously, she holds her breath. "After all, what you're doing right now is nothing short of _outright mutiny."_

Mutiny. Betrayal.

Jinbe dips his head, a gesture of respect that defies his current actions, but his voice comes out strong and unwavering. "Please do not think of it that way, Big Mom. I would like to quit your crew, because I want to join the Straw Hats. I wish to sail under Monkey D. Luffy's flag!"

… Such bravery deserves to be commended. Such bravery, such _stupidity._ Madeleine looks at Jinbe the way one does a dead man, because if there was ever any chance of Mama forgiving him his earlier actions in aiding Straw Hat, he's gone and ruined it with these words.

Jinbe is dead. Pity.

 _"Ha!"_ Mama laughs, and Madeleine tightens her grip on her sword. Next to her, Katakuri tenses as well, eyes darkening. "I could care less about what you want to do after you leave! But you still haven't paid the price for leaving, Jinbe. Can you really live with this shame on your shoulders?"

Price… There is only one option, when it comes to paying the price like this, and that's–

"Lifespan, is it? I'm well aware of the payment you require." Jinbe nods, and it's a slow, steady movement. Almost… almost _too_ steady, even, which–?

Jinbe steps forward.

"If you promise to leave my comrades unharmed, then I will lay down as much of my life as you wish!"

.

.

In the hushed silence that follows the fishman's bold declaration, Madeleine is not the only one who finds themselves staring blankly at the former Shichibukai. Did Jinbe really just go and–?

_If you promise to leave my comrades unharmed, then I will lay down as much of my life as you wish!_

…

… Madeleine doesn't understand. How… how can he say something like that and _mean_ it? There's nothing you can do if you're dead, so it follows that there's nothing worth more than life. Life, which Mama takes and takes and _takes_ and it's not enough, never enough.

Jinbe is offering up his own lifespan to Mama? … For Straw Hat? Willingly giving up his own life for a brash, thoughtless young pirate? … Just like that?

How can he _possibly_ be worth it?

(How can anyone ever be?)

"NO! Jinbe, you can't join my crew if you're dead!"

See? Even Straw Hat understands, if that exaggerated reaction of his is anything to go by. Life is important; what can one ever hope to do if they're dead, dead, _dead?_

 _Some things are worth dying for, wouldn't you agree?_ Jinbe's voice echoes in her head again, a remnant of their previous encounter when she was all that stood between him and the young captain he sought to rescue. Madeleine looks at Jinbe, then looks to Straw Hat, trying to find just what it is the man sees in this young captain that makes him so willing to lay down his own life for him, because–

Because Jinbe is an accomplished man in his own right, former Shichibukai and captain of the Sun Pirates that he is, and for him to bend knee to someone else to the point that even his own _life_ is something he can cast aside without a single moment of doubt, it…

She… she can't understand it. Incomprehensible. _Why?_

Carefully, Madeleine holds herself still when her mother leans forward. Mama all but _looms_ over Jinbe's smaller form, and the bone-chilling aura of death emanating her is overwhelmingly dark and insidious.

"Choosing death over remaining somewhere you don't wish to be, is it…?" Mama's lips slowly peel back into a wide, wide grin that is all teeth and little else. "Nope, can't say I can sympathize with a choice like that. But if that's your final decision, then I'll just take all the life you have to offer… Give me your answer, Jinbe. **STAY OR LIFE?"**

Stay, or life?

… Madeleine knows how it goes, has seen this terrifying sight of Mama literally pulling out a person's very life from their body far, far too many times. There is no possible defense, no way to escape, no method to–

"Life," Jinbe responds without even a shred of hesitation. "I choose life."

…

**"STAY OR LIFE?"**

"Life."

…

_**"STAY OR LIFE?"** _

"Life!"

…

…

…

Madeleine can't believe her eyes.

"… What is this?" She doesn't. She doesn't mean to. She doesn't mean to say anything, but somehow the incredulous words slip through anyways, falling from her lips like irregular beads of glass that scatter before shattering on the floor. "Why… how is he… why isn't he…?"

Katakuri's hand closes over her shoulder, and her voice dies in her throat. The gesture is half-reassuring, half-reminder to get ahold of herself because _everyone is watching, weakness is not tolerated_ –but even with her perceptive brother trying to ground her in this moment, Madeleine just feels cold. Shards of ice trickle through her veins, her entire world upended, because she just doesn't understand, understand, _understand!_

Mama's only favorite food aside from her sweets is lifespan. Lifespan that she acquires by calling out the attachment that all living beings hold towards life itself, an attachment that she seizes hold of through fear. So if one trembles for even a moment in front of her, their life is forfeit.

That Jinbe does not so much as even flinch before her, that no matter how many times Mama asks there is no trace of his soul, his _life_ being torn out of his body, it–

_"How is this possible?"_

_"There's no other explanation! He's not even scared of Mama in the slightest!"_

_"Mama can't take his life?!"_

–it's impossible. She can't eat it. His life. Mama can't… Mama can't eat his lifespan?

… There is no denying the truth, not when it's splayed out so clearly before her eyes, even though it's something that's utterly, utterly _impossible,_ and yet–

And yet–

_And yet–_

Jinbe looks directly into Mama's eyes, calm and steady despite the growing furor of their surroundings. "There's no way that a man who intends on joining the crew of the future pirate king will ever cower at the sight of a mere Yonkou!"

Madeleine doesn't believe it. Won't believe it, because he doesn't know. Jinbe does not know her mother's strength, doesn't know how terrifying Mama can be. It is only in ignorance that he can say something like this and _believe_ in it with his entire heart. Future pirate king? Mere Yonkou?

… Don't make her laugh.

Jinbe is strong, certainly. But here in the heart of Mama's stronghold, surrounded by the entire Charlotte Family and its allies… what gives him the confidence to say something like that? His new captain, Monkey D. Luffy? Is it a _joke?_ Is that what this is? … How preposterous.

Madeleine's hands curl into fists, and it's not until blood drip-drip-drips though her glass-cut fingers that she realizes what she's doing.

(Reopening her injuries, and for what? No reason. No reason at all. There's no need for her to do something so useless, so meaningless… that's something Cracker would do. Not her. Not Madeleine. Not–)

"… If you will not take my lifespan, then allow me to at least offer you a cup of sake. Let this drink to you mark my departure from the Big Mom Pirates!"

How?

How is he… how is he doing this?!

Defiance is death. Rebellion is impossible. There is only one path forwards, and that path lies in obedience. In being useful enough a tool to never be discarded. Madeleine _knows_ this, has known this from the day she was born in this hellish world. It's a fact of life. Never go against Mama's wishes if you desire to live, because to displease Mama is to invite death to your doorstep. Madeleine might be a devil, but her mother is a _demon._

Jinbe isn't… she's not weaker than Jinbe. She's fought him, and even though neither of them had gone full-out, she's more than a match for him. But Madeleine knows herself, knows that any struggle she puts up against her mother will end in failure, and so she doesn't. Because she wants to _live._ And in the end, only those who are useful are allowed to live.

Everything that she's ever done in this world, is for the sake of living. To blink and breathe and wake up to another morning, no matter how torturous, how painful. All the blood on her hands, the sins staining her soul black _–everything that Madeleine has ever done, was in order to live._

… Madeleine is not Jinbe, and Jinbe is not Madeleine. That's obvious. But even so, Jinbe is so hopelessly outclassed by Mama that he shouldn't even stand a _chance_ against her, but–

Mama can't take his lifespan.

Mama can't eat his soul.

Mama can't… devour his life.

…

… why?

Just because… just because Jinbe doesn't fear her? Because he doesn't _fear_ her? A flimsy explanation like that –is _ignorance_ the only reason why Mama can't eat him? Ignorance, of all things? That's so pitifully laughable that it's not even funny, not funny, nOt fUnNY–

Ignorance. That's really all it takes?

NO.

From day one, Madeleine has gradually killed her heart and given up everything that defines her as a person, because she wants to live. Because no one defies Mama and lives to tell the tale. But how can this possibly be the answer?

If the answer to everything is blindness, ignorance, _stupidity,_ then what's the point of all these years of mindless killing, of painstaking perfection, becoming an absolute monster–

_What's the goddamned point of everything she's done this entire time?!_

.

.

Katakuri is saying something to her. What is he saying? Madeleine can't hear. Her brother's voice is muffled, as if it's coming from somewhere far, far away, which isn't right. It's not right. He's standing right next to her. His hand is still on her shoulder–

No.

He's leaving.

He's leaving to… fight.

Fight…

… ha. Hahaha. Fight?

 _Fight, fight, fight. Kill, kill, kill._ For fuck's sake, what's the point?! _Kill, kill, kill. Fight, fight, fight._ Fight for the sake of not being killed by Mama, for the privilege of being allowed to live… when it's utterly pointless in the first place? Perfect weapon, obedient tool, mindless dog –ahahaha, it's all useless, useless, USELESS!

Ignorance. _Stupidity._

That's all it takes.

… Haha, that's all it takes. _That's all it takes to be free of Charlotte Linlin's shadow!_

(Too late, too late, an answer that she can't hope to follow, not since the moment she opened her eyes in this world and saw–)

Fear, thick and suffocating. Choking her throat. Terror, coursing through her veins. Panic, a sharp pounding in her chest, the sound of her heart bursting forth from her ribcage. Ah, but wait. She doesn't have a heart. It's common knowledge, isn't it? Madeleine is _heartless._

(The funny thing about it is, she wasn't born heartless. No, she went and carved out her heart with her own two hands! And for _what?_ For nothing! _Absolutely nothing._ Nothing at all! There was never any need to–)

Unnecessary.

Ah… just look at them. Her dear siblings, all so concentrated on the battle unfolding in front of them. Bege has betrayed the crew. Someone released the Vinsmokes. The Straw Hats are escaping, escaping–

Brothers and sisters, why haven't you realized it already? What Jinbe proved just now… no matter how hard they try, it's USELESS! Everything they do is useless! They fight and fight and fight because they fear Mama as much as they fear dying, because they fear dying at her hands, but it's precisely because of that very fear that she holds each and every one of their lives in her hands. In her bloodied hands, stained with her own blood!

Fear, hah!

Fight to stay on Mama's good side. Fight to kill her enemies. Fight to serve in Mama's crew. Dangerous, dangerous, but the alternative is death. Death? Yes, death. There is always a choice: Die or die or _die!_

_To hell with that._

…

Even when there is an explosion that rocks the entire castle, that brings the entire structure falling down, Madeleine is still connected-disconnected from her surroundings as everything collapses around her. It's bitter, but never has everything been so clear. The sheer foolishness of everything, the futility, the uselessness of all she's ever done–

Really, she must thank Jinbe.

Really.

_Really._

Clearly, she needs to–

.

.

**"WEdDiNG cAAaaKeEeeE!"**

.

.

**.EXTRA: By a Single Sugar-Spun Thread**

Jinbe doubts she remembers it, but the first time he encountered Madeleine was not on the day he formally joined Big Mom's crew. Certainly, she was in attendance with several other prominent members of the Charlotte Family that day, but–

But the first time he saw her was when she was sitting next to Praline, eyes closed and dozing against a tree while her sister sang a soft, lilting song. He did not recognize her at the time, but even after learning more about the Charlottes and being able to put names to faces, something about that scene stayed with him… for all the whispers of _dangerous_ and _heartless_ that is attached to Charlotte Madeleine.

"She's always been a bit of an odd duck," is how Praline had placed it, a strange little smile twisting at her lips. "Madeleine doesn't really know how to socialize with others so she comes across as stiff and cold, but she always has the family's best interests in mind."

A fairly diplomatic answer, all things considered.

He wonders how much of her coldness is from her true personality, and how much of it is simply the result of the rumors around the girl. Call a person heartless every single day, and it's no wonder that they'll begin to doubt themselves. Big Mom's children are strong, truly a force to be reckoned with, but Jinbe remains skeptical of the way she takes such a hands-off approach, when it comes towards guiding, supporting her children. As long as combat potential isn't compromised, as long as they can contribute to the family, nothing else seems to matter.

Becoming a member of Big Mom's crew was always a temporary arrangement.

He didn't expect Luffy to infiltrate Totto Land the way he did; Jinbe had thought he would have to head out and search a good long while for his captain after resigning from Big Mom's crew. Luffy's capture was unexpected as well, and he'd rushed towards the Library where prisoners were kept as soon as he heard news of it–

He didn't expect to find Madeleine there, either. Was Big Mom already so wary of Luffy?

Fighting Madeleine was… an experience. One that he isn't particularly anxious to repeat, if the paralyzed state of his entire left arm right now is anything to go by –unlike most of the crew, the details of Madeleine's Devil Fruit ability wasn't very well-known. Perhaps as a direct result of her reticent personality. Some sort of space-manipulation? _Time-manipulation?_ No, that didn't seem quite right–

When Big Mom calls him out, names him a traitor, he sees the subservient way Madeleine shadows her mother behind her brother. And for a moment, he cannot help but compare her to the late-season sea-violet, her coloration a pale mimicry of the vibrant pinks and reds of her mother.

It's a surprise that she does not move to join the battle that breaks out. Even with her brother's rushed directives to subdue Sanji's family, she remains still and does nothing. It's odd, and matches up with absolutely nothing of the little that he knows about the girl… but all suspicions aside, Jinbe isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps Praline would be able to make sense of it, if she were present.

They've accomplished what they'd set out to do. Sanji is back with the crew, where he belongs. The Vinsmokes have been saved. All that's left now, is safely retreating from Big Mom's territory.

… It won't be easy. Even without Madeleine, there's still the rest of her siblings to be worrying about.

_"C'mon, let's go!"_

Yet, Jinbe cannot bring himself to regret anything for even a single moment. Given a second chance, he would still rescue his captain despite any injuries he might receive, face down a Yonkou and stand his ground, fight to protect the Straw Hats. No, his crew. Because he, too, will be sailing under Luffy's flag now, won't he?

Even if he dies for it, Jinbe will never regret his decision. This is his vow, his resolve, and he will see things through until the very end.

.


	10. light of broken dreams (WCI Arc Part VI)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part IV: Madeleine makes her decision.

.

_"Mama's gone into one of her fits again! Hurry! Lord Peros might've managed to convince her that the Straw Hats have another wedding cake on their ship, but we still need to get things together on our end while Miss Pudding is–"_

…

Madeleine isn't quite sure who's speaking anymore. But it doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore.

… She wonders what it says about her that even with what she has recently realized from Jinbe's stunt, her first instinct upon seeing her mother fall into another of her mindless rampages is still _fear._ Old habits die hard, it seems. Even with a new perspective, she still can't control her terror. Then again, if she could control her terror in the first place, she would not be the devil to her mother's demon as she is now.

It's alright, though. It's alright. She's calmed down now, thought things through, and she knows what she should do. Or rather, _will_ do. Thanks to Jinbe, she's finally found a way to be _free_ from this fear that's ruled her entire life, to finally crawl out from the recesses of this suffocating shadow.

(Everything is always clear in hindsight, and this is no different. Madeleine knows what to do.)

_Fear._

Sometimes it's overbearing, tearing a gaping maw in her chest and swallowing her whole, but other times it's just an insistent trickle in the back of her mind. Ever-constant, ever-present. She's so goddamned _tired_ of being so scared all the time; scared of punishment, scared of failure, scared of Mama's every word and action–

And all for what?

She's only ever just wanted to _live._ As a Charlotte, it means serving Big Mom to the best of one's ability. So that's exactly what she's done unfailingly for the past twenty-odd years, to the point that she's even named a Sweet Commander for it. A title gained from standing atop a mountain of dismembered limbs and nameless corpses.

Her siblings, by and large, are driven by loyalty. Ambition. Madeleine is driven by _fear._

… A fear that will no longer have any rule over her, not if she has any say about it. Madeleine can be patient –she's lived with this for twenty years; she can certainly wait a little bit longer, after everything has ended.

Madeleine thinks about Jinbe, thinks about the fishman's unwavering resolve, faced against a Yonkou fully intent on taking his life. He does not fear her. He does not fear Mama. He does not fear her _–but only because he doesn't realize what is so terrifying about Charlotte Linlin._ They are not so different from each other, and Madeleine knows enough of fear to come to the conclusion that she does not need any more of it. But Jinbe and the Straw Hats, their utter lack of caution and total disregard for Mama…

That's alright. Mama's already flown into a mindless rage, a killing rampage. All because of Jinbe and the Straw Hats. Madeleine has no more need for fear in her life, but it seems like the Straw Hats could certainly do with a healthy dose of it, if only for self-preservation. The New World is not a kind place. In return for the lesson they've taught her about her fear and the futility of everything she's done her entire life, Madeleine thinks she might be able to teach them a little something, too, along with the rest of her siblings.

Oh, they won't thank her for it, but it will definitely be useful for them… if they survive the lesson.

Only the strong have any right to decide their future. But sometimes, even strength is not enough. Just take a look at Madeleine and her eighty-odd siblings. Even Katakuri, the strongest of them all, is not exempt from this.

Taking on the world armed only with courage, bravery, and indomitable spirit… in the end, something like that is only wishful thinking, and the Straw Hats would do well to remember that.

For what they've done, it's the least she could do to help.

.

.

_"I… I'm dreaming, right? Quick, someone pinch me–"_

__

__

"Oh my god, oh my god–"

_"Is… is Lady Madeleine smiling?!"_

.

.

Interesting. People tend to duck their heads and look to the side whenever Madeleine passes by, but outright running away in the opposite direction is certainly… new. The girl puts it down to the utter chaos that is Totto Land right now, and leaves it at that.

"So you've finally come around?"

The tenor of the older man's voice is mostly-neutral, but Madeleine can still pick up on the clear undercurrent of accusation. Blame. A thin strand of confusion, even. Fair enough; standing around like an idiot while everyone else is busy fighting is… well. It's probably a good thing that Mama is preoccupied with the Straw Hats at the moment, if the explosions going on in the not-so-far distance are any indication of things.

"Oi, say something for yourself!"

Say something? What does he want her to say? _The truth?_ … There's no need for her to explain anything to her siblings. None of them would understand, anyways, so it's a moot point. Isn't enough that she's coming back to help with their efforts?

Madeleine ignores Snack, utterly and completely, and her brother's mounting irritation with her is almost palpable in the air. But for all his anger, he still knows that this is no time for any in-fighting within the family; both of them are well aware that finding and capturing Straw Hat and his allies takes precedence over everything else. And Madeleine, for all her earlier lapse, is still one of the family's top fighters.

(She used to be on better terms with Snack, prior to 'usurping' his title of Sweet Commander after he lost to a newbie pirate. Not that it really changes anything. Thinking back on it, Snack was never really fond of how she went about–)

Madeleine stills.

"… Care to explain, brother?"

The older man scowls, but does not move from where he has moved to block her right in the middle of her path. "You're acting suspiciously, Madeleine. Stop where you are. I can't allow you to go into battle like this. There's a reason why neither Peros nor Katakuri brought you with them earlier, and even Smoothie–"

Ah, looks like she misjudged him. Shame. She'd thought he would know better than to pull something like this.

The girl throws her head back and _laughs._ Laughs, for the first time since… she doesn't know. Doesn't remember. It's probably not the best reaction, considering her brother's narrowed eyes, the way he squares his shoulders and _reaches for his weapon._ Is he for real? Acting the way he is, at a time like this?

Has he no awareness at all? Really, this brother of hers…

Abruptly, Madeleine cuts off her laughter and levels an even gaze at him, smiling coldly.

"You think you can stop me?"

Snack glares, and it's a subtle thing, for all his displeasure. "You are sorely mistaken if you think that I am the same as I was two years ago."

Madeleine sighs, one hand coming up to rub at her temples.

"… Do we really have time to be doing this?"

"You tell _me,_ sister. What's wrong with you? Earlier, you weren't reacting at all. You _let_ the intruders escape!"

At this, Madeleine shakes her head. "I did nothing."

"Precisely! _You did nothing!"_ Her brother roars in her face. Given the volume of his voice, it must've been weighing on his chest for a bit. "You just stood by and watched, while the rest of us fought Straw Hat and his allies. Watched, when they destroyed Whole Cake Castle to make their escape. Do you know how many of our siblings are injured? How cold-blooded are you to just stand aside like that?!"

How? … Because she doesn't _care,_ that's why. That, and she'd been rather taken aback by what Jinbe had showed her. But that's a little neither here nor there, and Snack would be the last person to understand anything of it, so there's no point in responding. Besides, for all that he's taking the higher moral ground in things, if he has the time to be screaming at her like this…

"Shouldn't we be going after our intruders?" Madeleine asks instead. Her brother's face goes through several interesting color changes in quick succession, and she wonders if he's blown a fuse somewhere –but he manages to get control of himself and simply _glares_ at her. If looks could kill, Madeleine would already be six feet under.

Snack hefts the giant sword in his hands warningly. "You didn't even lift a single finger to help earlier, and now you ask me to trust you? You think I don't know that you were with Opera when you allowed Straw Hat to escape earlier, just so he could ruin Mama's Tea Party? _No._ We should never have entrusted you with the Sweet Commander position!"

Funny, how he thinks his opinion has an effect on her. It takes actual effort for Madeleine to refrain from rolling her eyes. _Sweet Commander, Sweet Commander._ That's always what it boils down to between her and Snack, isn't it? _Gods_ she's so sick and tired of this song and dance.

… Is this the real reason why he's decided to step in her way at a time like this, at a time when the entire family is _supposed_ to be working together to put a stop to Straw Hat and his companions? Even if mobilizing the entire family for a rookie pirate like that is overkill, that's still no reason to treat things so flippantly. Seems like her brother's defeat and subsequent demotion hasn't really done his attitude anything good. Does he really think she _wants_ to be a Sweet Commander?

"… It's been two years already. If you want your title back, go ask Mama for it, and I'll be happy to return it to you once she agrees."

"That arrogance of yours! You _know_ Mama would never give permission if I'm the one to go and–"

Madeleine sighs, because Snack is almost as bad as Cracker in terms of rambling, once he gets going. She doesn't have the patience for this. She still has to find the Straw Hats and return the favor they've done her, however unknowingly. Enough is enough.

"Step aside, brother."

_"No."_

… Idiot.

The girl heaves another sigh, and reaches for her sword.

.

.

It's easy enough to find where the Straw Hats are. Just head towards the screams and explosions, and voila. There you have it. Madeleine squints a little when a titanic lightning bolt tears down from the sky, _decimating_ the Seducing Woods, and she'd say that it's her mother's handiwork –except she can still sense the Straw Hats running, running, _running_ with her Observation Haki.

And… is that Pudding on her flying carpet with Chiffon and the Vinsmoke prince?

… Interesting choice of companions. Does she really want to know what's going on there?

Mm… Probably not.

It's good that her sister is heading away from the heart of the chaos, though. With what Madeleine has learned from Jinbe, Pudding holds the key to Madeleine finally being able to put down her fear.

She turns away from her little sister and closes in on the Straw Hats instead. Priorities, priorities. Madeleine can be patient. She'll find her sister to acquire her assistance after everything is over. Given how the entire family has mobilized under Mama's orders, she doubts that it will take very long.

The Straw Hats' ship has already been commandeered by her siblings. Katakuri and… Peros? No, wait. Straw Hat and his companions are currently fighting her siblings on their ship, putting up an admirable effort to get rid of the Charlottes so they can escape, but Madeleine can tell with a single glance that it's no use. Katakuri and Peros aren't pushovers, and Mama is fast coming up from behind, too. Smoothie and Daifuku have brought their own ships, further caging them in. The surface of the water has even been turned into a candy web, firmly trapping the Straw Hats' ship in place.

Perhaps… perhaps it's completely unnecessary for her to step in at all. It seems like her siblings are already through with teaching the Straw Hats what it means to underestimate a Yonkou's crew. One cannot allow fear to rule their entire life, but neither can one live entirely without fear, for it is fear that makes one cautious, that teaches the meaning of patience and preparation and biding one's time until the moment it right.

… Was there really even any need for her to hurry on over here? Brûlée would tell her to go back and apologize to Snack now, probably, although it really isn't–

Wait.

That oddly-familiar mink. The leopard one missing an eye. Why isn't he working with the rest of the Straw Hats in their frantic, futile efforts to free their ship? He's not… he's making a beeline for… Peros?

Madeleine tilts her head.

It doesn't make sense. She's _seen_ the mink's movements, and he's skilled, but still no match for someone of Peros' caliber. It doesn't make sense, then, why he suddenly charges at her eldest brother. Even if Peros is the one responsible for the candy trap preventing their escape, it's not as if it'll be enough to–

_"Your overconfidence will be your downfall, Charlotte Perospero. This should put an end to you, no? Good riddance!"_

Bombs.

The mink is carrying bombs.

In an instant, Madeleine realizes what the mink is planning. Mindless charge? No. This isn't a mindless charge at all, it's a _suicide run._

The mink latches onto Peros with the death grip of a dead man, fangs bared, clearly more than willing to light the explosives and let them detonate at point-blank range.

…

… Peros.

.

.

**.EXTRA: Icing on Top**

_Scorching heat. PAIN._

… Or at least, that was what he'd expected to feel, the instant he saw the explosives strapped tightly to the leopard mink's body, the instant those clawed fingers dug into his arms and the mink hissed, _"This should put an end to you, no?"_

(No.)

He'd been amused, when the mink first launched itself at him. Pedro. Former captain of the Nox Pirates, before they disbanded. Mama had taken fifty years off of his lifespan, the last time he'd stepped into Totto Land –seems like some fools never learn from their mistakes.

His amusement lasted all the way up until the mink turned himself into a suicide bomber right in front of him.

…

"… Well," Peros coughs, waving away at the smoke in his face. Crystalline shards fall from his body, broken pieces of his candy armor. That damned mink certainly went all out with those explosives of his. "This was rather unexpected."

_"LORD PEROS!"_

__

__

"You bastards, how could you–"

_"Brother Peros! Are you alright?!"_

Peros easily ignores them all, instead turning his attention on his little sister. "You're a lot faster than I last remember, Madeleine."

The pink-haired girl shrugs. Surprisingly enough, she even responds verbally. "That makes two of us, then."

"Is that so?" Peros blinks, unsure of where his sister is going with this. This does not prevent him from letting his lips curve back into his trademark smile a heartbeat later, though. "Finally come to help, have you?"

Madeleine laughs. _Laughs._ Peros almost falters, because she doesn't… Madeleine doesn't laugh. His little sister is always quiet and reserved and serious, and while he wouldn't quite call her melancholy, she's never been someone prone to openly expressing happiness. Perhaps it's different with their other siblings, but never with _him._ He's perceptive enough to note how little Madeleine is always a touch more cautious, uneasy around him, and while he doesn't understand _why,_ he's willing to give his little sister the space she evidently needs.

It's almost surreal, seeing Madeleine laugh so openly like this next to him, soot-streaked and smiling.

_Are you feeling alright?_ Peros holds his tongue. Madeleine might be acting strangely, but he remembers how she just… stopped moving, when Mama became enraged. It's good to see that she –mostly– has her head back in the game again, but terror can do strange things to a person. "You seem to be in an oddly good mood, considering the catastrophic situation we're currently in."

"Sorry, sorry," Madeleine apologizes, lightly rueful if not entirely apologetic. "I hope you're not going to pull another Snack on me."

"… I'm going to pull a _what?"_ Peros does not have a good feeling about this. Peros does not have a good feeling about this _at all._ First Cracker, now Snack… "What did Snack do this time?"

"Nothing. I hear you lied to Mama and told her that the Straw Hats stole a spare wedding cake?"

… He liked it better when Madeleine was silent. Peros is going to get whiplash at this rate, talking with her like this. "I–"

_"PEDRO! PEDRO, NO!"_

__

__

_"Calm down, Carrot, Pedro wouldn't–"_

Straw Hat and friends. Of course. Barbarians, the lot of them. The bunny-mink girl seems to be the most distressed of the lot, nearly leaping off the ship railings in her valiant attempt to hurl herself in their direction. Peros clicks his tongue when she is held back by the other Straw Hats. Pity. It would be easy to kill her, if she decided to charge him down. Or rather…

"How long are you going to hold onto that blasted mink's hand?"

Madeleine blinks, waving a bloodied hand stump carelessly. The hand she'd cut off Pedro, who'd latched onto him with a death grip in his heroic effort to sacrifice his own life to give the Straw Hats a chance to escape. It was a good thing that Madeleine came by when she did, because he might've actually lost a limb otherwise, given the strength of those explosives.

"What, this?" She looks at the clawed hands for a moment, then shrugs and lets it drop. This sets off another fresh round of screams, courtesy of the Straw Hats, as the last remnant of their friend is swallowed up by the unforgiving waves of the sea below.

Considering that the mink tried to kill him in such an underhanded way, Peros can't say he feels very sympathetic towards them. Not to mention–

**"WeDDinGGgg cAaAAkeEE!"**

Another trickle of cold sweat rolls down his forehead. They've done it. The Straw Hats are trapped, all exits blocked off and any chance of escape impossible, and Mama herself is bearing down on them this very moment. But after Mama kills them she will search their ship for a nonexistent wedding cake, and she will realize that he _lied_ to her. Even if this was done in the family's best interest, there is no way he will be forgiven for that.

… Hopefully, Pudding would be able to finish making another wedding cake soon. _Soon._ He had his life riding on this!

"Need a little more time?" His sister's voice breaks into his thoughts, and Peros turns to her with a light frown.

"How do you…?"

"I just saw Pudding on her magic carpet with… Chiffon. I assume they've only just started making preparations in the kitchen right now. It won't take long for Mama to be finished with the Straw Hats, and it doesn't take long to travel to Cacao Island from here, either. What will you do when she finds out that you lied?"

"I…" Truthfully? There's nothing he can do. But that doesn't mean– "I assume you have an idea?"

He regrets the words as soon as he hears his sister's response, but before he can stop her–

"Oh, that's easy. **Sleep."**

.


	11. choir songs (WCI Arc Part VII)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whole Cake Island Arc, Part VII: The end. (?)

.

_"What do you think you're doing?!"_

It feels different. How… curious.

Usually, in the rare cases when Madeleine activates her Devil Fruit ability, she becomes acutely aware of the way her perception shifts, then _splits_ into two distinctly separate halves: The waking world, where everything stands still but remains real nonetheless; and the Dream World, where everything is an illusion and the very notion of reality becomes a lie.

… Usually.

There is a perfectly valid reason why Madeleine doesn't dare delve too far into her ability to manipulate the Dream World, and instead leaves it simply as a superficial reflection of the real world. The line between Dream and Reality is thinner than what one would think; it's best not to push that boundary. Regardless of her intentions, though, it seems like things are distinctly _different_ this time, as she activates her ability.

(How… embarrassing, lacking control like this.)

Outwardly, it appears as though nothing has changed, but Madeleine can _feel_ the way this dream-image suddenly stretches gossamer-thin beneath her fingertips, straining. It twists and writhes wildly, madly, against her control. Calm on the surface, but tumultuous and roiling underneath.

Well. That's not very good at all now, is it?

"Whoops."

"… What do you mean, 'whoops'?" Off to her left, Peros doesn't seem pleased. The man doesn't seem to be very pleased at all, if the slightly strangled tone in his voice is anything to go by… Funny, she would've thought that her brother would be a little happier, considering the very good distraction she's currently making herself into, releasing her Devil Fruit powers like this. Y'know, distracting Mama and all. "Your ability, why did you just– _did you really just go and pull everyone inside?"_

Unspoken is the _'Have you gone mad?'_ that somehow still comes across loud and clear in all the glorious silence that ensues. Madeleine is almost impressed.

Hahaha.

"Well… why not?" An idle shrug, limp and boneless, a simple gesture that perfectly hides the strain of holding up the Dream. The girl smoothly suppresses a smile –it probably wouldn't go over very well with Peros at all right now, given how high-strung he is… which only makes sense; Peros has every reason to be concerned over Mama's current… _state._ See how considerate she's being of her brother's unease? "It's a good option. We just need to delay Mama and play around with the Straw Hats a bit more until the wedding cake is finished, right?"

Peros jerks and looks at his little sister like she's lost her mind. It's not too far off from the truth, probably. But at the same time it's also very much untrue, because right now the world before her eyes has never been more structured, more clear–

Moreover, to think that using her ability like this can be construed as setting herself against their mother's will–

… ha.

"No. Don't get carried away, Madeleine," Peros' eyebrows furrow. And if he weren't a Charlotte, the pale girl might even call it concern. But Madeleine knows her brother too well to mistake his apprehension for that. "Mama might be much too preoccupied with the Straw Hats at the moment to notice this, but if she does _–once_ she does– there's no way she won't turn on you as the next obstacle between her and the wedding cake that she's searching for."

Yes. Madeleine knows that.

'Are you worried?' she almost asks her brother, but the words die on her tongue before they can be voiced aloud. Silly Madeleine. You know better than to ask something as foolish and senseless and so very meaningless as that.

Peros shakes his head, clicking his tongue –more frustration than irritation, really. "Madeleine, what's gotten into you today? First the prisoners, then the Tea Party, and now… you've _never_ set your will against Mama before, little sister. What on earth has possessed you?"

Certainly, from an outsider's perspective, Madeleine supposes that her behavior must seem rather strange today. Irregular, alarming, highly out of character for someone saddled with a name like the _Devil._ Almost as if there's an entirely different person wearing her skin.

(That's a lie. She's still the same person. Still the same, but her eyes have now been opened. Thank you, _Jinbe._ )

But then again, why would a slight change in her behavioral patterns ever matter, especially in extenuating circumstances like their current one? Moreover… Madeleine doesn't care how others see her, doesn't care about what her siblings might think; why would they ever care for her in the first place, anyways? Cracker made that plenty clear, before. Snack was just the icing on the cake. Peros' subtle wariness…

… And come to think of it, Peros is acting plenty strangely himself today, too. He's usually not this open, not this talkative with her. There's something almost… _frenzied,_ raw, to the edge of his movements. Perhaps it's because of the imminent threat of death from Mama that hangs over him right now? The same death that threatens her, once Mama realizes that Madeleine has pulled everyone –her included– into the Dream World to delay her from finding her non-existent wedding cake?

_Silly._

… How silly. Really, how is this any different from any other day in Totto Land? _They already live under perpetual fear of their mother all. The. Time!_

"Madeleine?"

"It's… nothing. I've just managed to think some things through earlier, that's all," the girl finally says in response to her still-waiting brother. Because Peros is not like Snack; for one, patience is not one of Snack's virtues. Also, Snack is not strong enough to potentially kill her if he decided that she was an enemy. Better not to stretch thin whatever little goodwill she still has with this particular brother.

Peros sighs, tilts his head back without a word and pinches the bridge of his nose in a startlingly familiar motion. For a split second, it eerily resembles Katakuri's reaction to incoming headaches–

_Katakuri._

Madeleine lowers her eyes thoughtfully, Peros' voice fading out to a dull hum beyond her ears. Right, Katakuri was on the Straw Hat ship when she activated the Dream. The ship that Mama is currently bearing down on, in all her glorious, unstoppable rage, and ravenous hunger.

(Katakuri, brother and teacher and _obstacle,_ because where Madeleine is guided by fear and desperation, he holds steadfast with loyalty and dedication.)

"… Enough. I know you're trying to help, but this won't accomplish anything. End the Dream, Madeleine," Peros tells her, but Madeleine ignores him. The light-footed girl spins on her heel, deliberately losing herself in the paper-thin fabric of her Dream, and –lets go. Twist and fold. Space is just a concept; in this realm, she is the closest thing there is to a god, a false god possessing the control over her dream that she lacks in life–

It's entirely possible that Peros shouts something after her when she takes off without him. Something mildly indignant, threaded through with a faint hint of alarm. Madeleine isn't listening to him anymore, though.

(Does she even still need to listen to anyone, now?)

"Hello," is the first thing she says to the Straw Hats as she materializes out of thin air in front of them, Jinbe in particular. Off to the side, someone screams in the background, but Madeleine doesn't know if it's in outrage or in fear. She doesn't really care to find out, either.

"Thank you," she continues politely, "For opening my eyes, with your foolishness. But blind courage means nothing, if you lack the strength to match it. I hope you've realized that by now."

"What the hell are you going on about?!" It's the girl. Straw hat's navigator. She's holding some sort of staff in her hand –but it's all parlor tricks, in the end. How unfortunate. "You–"

"Rest assured, I will pay back my debt to you."

"… Huh? What do you–?"

_"Madeleine!"_

"Brother." Blithely, the young woman turns and nods at Katakuri, then dismisses the Straw Hats entirely. It's good that Katakuri has not killed them yet. That would make it a little hard to repay the Straw Hats, _Jinbe,_ for what they've done for her –however inadvertently– but first… "It's good to see you well, Mama."

Fear. Useless, senseless fear. In this moment, standing before her monstrous mother as she is, Madeleine finds that she is still unable to throw away her instinctive fear, apprehension. But that's alright. She finally knows how to rid herself of this fear now, knows how to erase Big Mom's shadow from her heart.

(Patience.)

**"What are you doing, Madeleine?"**

"Helping you apprehend these upstarts, of course, Mama." Madeleine bows, a wholly subservient gesture to the monstrous, gargantuan giantess, and no one sees the ice-cold flicker that flashes through her eyes. A stab of pain pulses in the back of her mind –maintaining the Dream is markedly more difficult, especially when _Mama_ is in it– but Madeleine is careful not to let any of it show on her face. "They've proven themselves to be quite good at running, no? So, I've pulled us all into a Dream now. They won't be running anywhere anymore."

**"… Is that so?"** Even through her madness, the woman smiles, an expression that is all teeth and little else. **"Good girl, Madeleine."**

"But of course, Mama."

**"Now… WHERE IS MY WEDDING CAKE?"**

A single stomp. Ocean waves harden beneath her feet, the sea itself quelled beneath the madwoman's steps as she approaches, and Madeleine turns to the Straw Hats. Foolish, brash young pirates –but then again, hadn't they shown her that foolishness could be a good thing?

Look at them. The way they raise their fists, hold their weapons, it's quite clear to see that they consider Madeleine an enemy. Just as they should, and rightly so. But in this case…

Perhaps it's no surprise that Katakuri is the first to catch on. In all of Totto Land, he's probably the one who knows her best, aside from her mirror-woman sister.

The man's brows furrow, and the trident in his hand tilts ever so slightly. "Madeleine, stop."

It's a command. There's no way it isn't. The nuance of his voice, the intonation –it's very clearly a command coming from him. And Madeleine is trained to follow commands, has been trained to follow commands for _years–_

But for the first time, she sucks in a deep breath, raises her chin and stares the strongest of the Big Mom Pirates directly in the eyes. "No. I owe them, brother."

Katakuri's voice is cold. "… Since when?"

Madeleine smiles humorlessly. "Since the moment they defied Mama, and _lived."_

The man's eyes widen, then narrow, and it's no surprise that he then proceeds to shoot to his feet, arm elongating and _sweeping_ his trident. Madeleine slides and folds her body between her brother and the Straw Hats just in time, sword meeting trident in a resounding _clang._

"Ehh?! Wait, they're fighting each other now?" Straw Hat's voice is _annoying,_ but the plaintive confusion in his words is as clear as day. "The scary lady's actually on our side?"

_"No!_ There's no way someone like that can be –she _–she killed Pedro!"_

Madeleine grits her teeth, blocking each of her brother's blows, pushing and deflecting and _leaping in_ –wait, no, that's an intentional opening. But it's a good thing that they're in a Dream right now; what would've been a deep, bleeding gash scored into her side passes through her harmlessly, only a faint trail of red left behind–

And even that, too, disappears as she wipes it away with a careless hand, revealing nothing but smooth, unblemished skin underneath.

Katakuri's eyes harden. _"Madeleine!_ Mama has declared the Straw Hats to be our enemies. If you persist in acting like this–"

"I know what I'm doing." It's rude, cutting off her brother like this, but Mama is coming closer. Closer and closer and closer still. And yet, in her Dream, as long as she is able to hold it together, even Mama won't be able to reach the Straw Hats if Madeleine does not wish her to.

She turns to Jinbe over her shoulder. "Leave. If I see you again, remember that I am still your enemy."

_And then, when everything finally comes to an end… I will be free._

The fishman is clearly confused, but still nods; no matter her intentions, at the moment she is still their best option. "You have my thanks, Madeleine."

Madeleine watches the Straw Hats flee, run, with a detached air about her, then turns to engage her brother in battle, delaying his pursuit. For all the initial force that he responds with, Katakuri allows himself to be caught in battle with his little sister, the cold, vicious edge to his blows slowly subsiding bit by bit. Ah, so has he caught on to what she's doing?

(Out of everyone in Totto Land, perhaps it's Katakuri who knows her best.)

"What are you planning?" he finally asks, and isn't that the crux of the question?

Because this is her Dream; it doesn't matter how much time Madeleine gives the Straw Hats to escape, nor how far they run. In her Dream, Madeleine controls _everything,_ nothing is out of her grasp… and in the end, it's all just an illusion, really. _A Dream._ Unless she had deliberately released the Straw Hats and only the Straw Hats from her Dream beforehand and _then_ allowed them to run, whilst still entrapping Mama and Katakuri and everyone else in the Dream, the Straw Hats' chances of escaping remain zero.

And Katakuri knows that, which is the only reason why he remains here instead of pursuing the Straw Hats as he would've done under any other circumstances.

"You're only delaying the inevitable." A small pause. "Why?"

"We need the time. I'm more than happy to do the Straw Hats a favor and give them hope in the meantime," Madeleine easily informs her brother. "And… did you know? There's no need to be scared of Mama."

"… That's your reason?"

"Yes." Madeleine twists, turns, and dodges. "That's all the reason I need to help them."

Katakuri raises a brow. "'Help them?' You're only misleading them by letting them _think_ that they're escaping. Unless you really _do_ plan on betraying us and your plan is to–"

"The Straw Hats won't escape." Madeleine is grateful for the lesson that Jinbe has unknowingly taught her: In ignorance, one can move forward without fear, undaunted. Foolishness and courage, hand in hand. So in turn, Madeleine will repay the Straw Hats with her own lesson, one of the first lessons that she's learned in the New World at her mother's knees.

"For what they've shown me… I will repay the Straw Hats by showing them that for every reckless action, there are _consequences."_

And this is what her plan boils down to: Cast the Dream. Delay Mama, long enough for Pudding to have time to figure out a replacement wedding cake. Delay the Straw Hats, by giving them hope of escaping, yet only sinking further into her Dream. Delay Katakuri, to prolong this tenuous balance for as long as she is able to hold things together in this Dream. Then…

_Then…_

Mama will catch them. The Straw hats will be re-imprisoned.

Help the Straw Hats escape? Of course that's an option she has, to repay her debt, but… what's the point in that?

Bravery is to be commended, but mindless bravery needs to be reprimanded; they will not learn, if no lesson is given. There are _consequences._ Luck can only carry a person so far, and Madeleine is amazed that they've reached the New World like this, and still have yet to grasp such a crucial lesson. So, she will remedy that. They might not be grateful to her for it, but they'll learn to appreciate her efforts, sooner or later.

Being captured by Mama when Mama is so angry is dangerous, but… they won't die. Or at least, not all of them. Because Madeleine knows Mama's methods, and Mama needs to make an _example_ of such brazen upstarts, and who remembers the dead? No, examples are more effective when they are living; living, after all, makes a stronger impression, doesn't it?

As for Mama…

Madeleine smiles.

Soon, she, too, will be free from Mama's shadow. If ignorance is all it takes… knowledge, _knowing,_ is a price that she will happily pay.

.

.

**.Cherry on Top**

"S-Sister?"

Pudding had not expected it. The wedding cake… even though they had backup ingredients in stock, enough to prepare another wedding cake, she hadn't _really_ believed that they'd be able to put together a cake capable of matching the Head Chef's work in such a short amount of time. And yet, they'd _done_ it. Sanji was _amazing,_ taking charge of the kitchen and–

And–

…

… and none of it mattered anymore, did it? Because even though they managed to create a wedding cake delicious enough to placate Mama and bring her out of her enraged state, the Straw Hats… the Straw Hats had been captured. None of them had been able to escape.

She… she _knew_ that this would happen. All of Totto Land's resources called upon, their soldiers, her siblings –how could a rookie fresh from Paradise possibly make it through an impenetrable fortress like that? And yet…

(And yet, watching Sanji's cool confidence, his relaxed ease, unwavering faith, _"Luffy and the others will be fine, just you see –"_ )

"Hello, Pudding."

In the end, one could only say that it was only _expected_ that the Straw Hats couldn't escape, even with Jinbe's aid.

Pudding forces herself to smile. "What brings you to look for little ol' me, Sister Madeleine? Isn't there a meeting going on right now? I hear that the Red Hair Pirates are moving; possibly because they have some connection to Straw Hat, perhaps something to do with Marineford–"

The deadly creature that is her sister by blood gives a light look at her left hand –the left hand that's in her pocket, the left hand that holds the key she'd stolen off of Mont d'Or for the Straw Hats' cells, _it's stupid and foolish and downright suicidal of her to be doing this but she can't let them die, can't let_ him _die…_

If it were Katakuri standing in front of her, he'd say something like, "Don't do anything foolish, Pudding."

If it were Cracker, he'd cackle and tell her, "Don't give me a reason to kill you, little sister."

If it were Smoothie, she'd only sigh. "Don't go chasing after hopeless dreams, my dear."

But Madeleine…

The pink-haired girl looks her in the eyes. "I need you to do something for me."

_And if you agree, I'll pretend I didn't see anything. How about that?_

Pudding swallows roughly, doing her best to hide the involuntary tremble in her body. "W-what can I do for you, Sister?"

"… I want you to remove my memories."

Pudding chokes, eyes flying wide open. _"What?!"_

Her sister tilts her head, as if she's _overreacting._ What sane person asks to have their memories removed?! "Remove my memories. Anything related to Mama, I want you to remove it."

"That's–" _That's practically everything, isn't it?!_ "That's impossible! Why would you ever want to remove your memories of… Mama is… she…"

_You're such a good little puppet, Pudding. Hahahamama!_

…

Pudding bites her lip. No, she won't ask her sister foolish questions like _Why._ But… "Mama plays a large role in our lives. If I remove all your memories of her, it'll _ruin_ you. Best case scenario, you'd be left wandering around Totto Land, wondering who you even _are._ Worst case scenario, it's entirely possible you'll lapse into a vegetative state. I don't… I don't pretend to understand why you're asking me this, but–"

"That's fine."

"–not recommend that… you… _what?"_

"That's fine," Madeleine repeats, and _smiles._ "I don't want to live like this anymore. So, whatever happens afterwards is fine with me."

Pudding _looks_ at her sister, jaw dropping open in sheer disbelief, as if the other woman is a stranger who she's only meeting for the first time today. It certainly feels like it. "How can you _say_ that?"

"Because ignorance is freedom, isn't it?" the other girl shrugs. "Besides, doesn't it work out well for you? I will be incapacitated either way, which will only make it easier for your husband and the rest of his crew to escape after you set them free."

_"SANJI ISN'T MY HUSBAND!_ … ah."

"… your not-husband and his crew, then."

What she says is true, but– "But when Mama or our other siblings find you, it… It'll be obvious that _I'm_ the one who removed your memories."

Madeleine raises an eyebrow. "You're really still planning to stay in Totto Land after this?"

At her sister's careless gesture towards the keys in her pockets, Pudding stiffens.

"… Forget about it. The others might not have said anything to you, but you're already suspected of being… compromised. Just as I am." A strange little expression quirks at the edge of Madeleine's lips, something that appears halfway amused. "If you reject me, though… What's stopping me from just taking you into custody right here, right now, before you're able to enact that daring plan of yours?"

Her fists tighten. There's no mistaking it; she's been well and truly backed into a corner. "… You're fine with the Straw Hats escaping?"

Madeleine tilts her head. "You talk as if I care about what happens to them. I don't."

_Heartless._ Pudding knows the rumors, has heard the whispers–

_I don't want to live like this anymore._

…

Pudding swallows roughly. "… Okay. I'll do it. I can't promise what will happen afterwards, though."

"That's fine with me, sister. Thank you. And… _good-bye."_

.


	12. fire set alight our souls (AU #1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU #1: In which Ace makes a promise.

.

Portgas D. Ace first meets the girl with the bone-white swords in his early days sailing the waters of the New World, back when he is still a Rookie riding the high of the shockwaves he'd stirred up in Paradise. He'd been rather cocky at the time, smugly confident in his own strength and in his crew, utterly on top of the world, because _this is it._ He's made it through all the trials and tribulations of the first half of the Grand Line already; nothing will halt his footsteps. _Nothing._

But the second part of the Grand Line is not as kind as the first half. There is a reason why Paradise is called _Paradise_ –and the New World is the _New World._

The young man gets his inevitable wake-up call in Pocus Land, where the law of the land is just as cutthroat as that of the sea: Only the strong can control their own fate.

… Ace has never been weak. Not even back in Goa as a young child, where he'd continued to fight and fight day after unending day until he could defeat all the strongest beasts of the forest, until he could run circles around the strongest thugs in the Gray Terminal with his sworn brothers. No, Ace _refused_ to be weak.

When he'd first set sail as a sea-faring pirate, it was obvious from the very start that Ace wasn't cut from the same cloth as the rest of the weak, middling riffraff in East Blue. Maybe it was because of the accursed blood running through his veins, but Ace liked to think it was because of his own determination, conviction–

And ever since he'd eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit, his strength has only grown exponentially stronger, being able to freely manipulate _fire._ But there were ways to fight Devil Fruit users, no matter the strength of their abilities, a fact that quickly became evident as the Spade Pirates sailed the Grand Line. What was not so obvious was that denizens of the New World happened to be _extremely_ well-versed in these methods, much more so than their counterparts in Paradise.

The Spade Pirates find that out the hard way.

In one world, Portgas D. Ace loses several well-cherished crew members to the Pocus Guard, but escapes with the remaining survivors. They engrave the lesson into their minds, a lesson learned and paid in _blood._ Eventually, the Spade Pirates return to Pocus Land, stronger and harsher and colder than they were before, and claim bitter vengeance for the family they lost. This is Portgas D. Ace's initiation to the New World. To borrow a Wano saying, it would be… _jaku niku kyou shoku._ Literally, "The weak are meat, the strong eat."

But in another world, what happens is this: Big Mom wants to eat Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts at her next Tea Party.

Unlike the neighboring Hocus Land, which had recently sent delegates to negotiate a trade deal with the Big Mom Pirates –monthly shipments of Silver Sunflowers in exchange for a Yonkou's protection– Pocus Land had no intentions of bowing to the whims of _pirates,_ Yonkou or no. But Pocus Land also happened to produce the sweetest, most fragrant Blood Roses, a rare delicacy even amongst high-class Illusion Ingredients.

In another world, Big Mom is struck by a sudden craving for Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts, and her children act accordingly to satisfy her gluttonous palate. Charlotte Oven is sent to collect Soft Flour from Raybek Island. Charlotte Amande is assigned to the Thousand Fruit Isles for its finest Snow Apples. And little Charlotte Madeleine, Madeleine sets sail for Pocus Land, in order to bring back its famed Blood Roses.

And so, in another world, the inexperienced Spade Pirates do not suffer the full brunt of the Pocus Guard's cruel, brutal attentions. This is because the Pocus Guard finds themselves preoccupied with dealing with someone else's attentions on _them_ –attentions of a rather lethal nature.

The Blood Roses are considered to be the national treasure of Pocus Land; something that the Pocus Guard is trained to protect with their lives, if need be. And in this case…

_"S-Stay back! I'm warning you, intruder! One more step and I'll –urk!"_

The last of the obstacles to her objective cleared, the young daughter of the Charlotte family steps back, flicking the tip of her sword to clear it of blood, before wiping down the blade and sheathing it in one smooth motion. Around her, the cracker-like soldiers she'd brought with her get to work harvesting the bloodstained flowers –indeed, _Blood Roses._

(Blood Roses bloom best in blood, after all. Why else would the Pocus Guard set their sights on the relatively nameless Spade Pirates?)

"I– Thanks for helping us," Ace says to her. Stumbles clumsily over his words, because he _knows_ what a close call they'd just had, and if she hadn't intervened when she did, well –it wouldn't be pretty. Ace doesn't even want to think about what would've _–could've–_ happened. "Who are you?"

The girl gives him a sidelong glance, but does not respond. Instead, she unclips some communication device, and speaks into it. "Blood Roses acquired. I will be back within the week."

Ace forcibly tamps down the surge of _irritation_ at being outright ignored, because _this is not the time for that._ Moreover, even if it hadn't been intentional, she _did_ help them, and Ace knows what gratitude is.

Still, for someone who'd murdered all thirty-something members of the elite Pocus Guard by herself without even batting an eye –Ace doesn't really know what he'd been expecting to see from her, but in the moment that she makes her report, he is suddenly struck by how _soft_ her voice is. A sharp contrast to the strength she'd displayed mere moments prior. And the intonation of her words, oddly listless and blank, it's…

It's not quite _chilling,_ but it's certainly unnerving, to an extent, and Ace does not know what to make of it.

The girl with pale pink hair brushes past him like a ghost as she leaves. There's no dialogue that occurs between them, the first time they meet; the girl doesn't so much as even lift her eyelids in his direction as she returns to her ship at the shoreline, and after the earlier debacle with the Pocus Guard, Ace still needs to pull his crew together.

Not a single word is exchanged between the two.

(Regardless, unbeknownst to both of them at the time, this innocuous little encounter… _changes_ things.)

.

.

Several months later down the line after what is now dubbed the 'Pocus Incident,' the Spade Pirates have finally adjusted to traversing the New World. The higher level of violence, the casual brutality, what it means to exist upon the seas carved into separate territories by the Yonkou… It's humbling, knowing that there are far stronger opponents out there, that there is still so much for them to learn, but the prospect of the new challenge set before them leaves the crew undaunted. This is part of the whole point of sailing the seas in the first place, isn't it?

The second time Ace encounters the strange pink-haired girl with bone-white swords, it's in a run-down town in some no-name island in the middle of nowhere. They'd been blown off-course by some particularly heavy winds a few days prior, and it was lucky that the Spade Pirates had discovered this small supply island to restock and regain their bearings at. So they'd dropped anchor and headed ashore, and–

"Huh, wasn't expecting to see you here."

–and of course, his mouth has to go run itself like an idiot. Ace raises both hands in what he hopes is a placating manner when the girl tilts her head at the sound of his voice, and tries to drop an easygoing chuckle somewhere in there, too. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean anything by that. Forgive me, please?"

The girl blinks, coal-black eyes quiet and steady, utterly unmoved and wholly silent. Charming conversationalist, this one. Although, Ace can't say he hadn't entirely expected this, considering her non-reaction last time.

Still, a debt is a debt. And even aside from that, Ace easily admits that he is very much curious about this unassuming girl who'd so easily dispatched the Pocus Guards from way back when. He's a lot more caught up on the general know-hows in the New World now, and he knows that the Pocus Guards are –were– widely considered to be a formidable force to be reckoned with, which means that the girl's threat level is a lot higher than he'd initially estimated her at.

Ace smoothly slides into the empty seat across from the girl, because he really hadn't expected to run into her again so soon, and also because he might be really curious about the pinkette. In a purely professional capacity, of course. "I just wanted to say thanks for the help last time; you might not have intended it, but you really helped us out of a tight spot back on Pocus Land. Could I get the name of the lovely lady who helped me and my crew?"

Dead silence. The girl looks at him, scrutinizing, and Ace does his level best to hold the charming grin in place. He's not lying with what he'd just said, and it would be great to make another friend. Friends are good.

… It's a subtle movement, but as the seconds tick by, Ace catches the way her fingers tighten ever so slightly around the glass of water atop the table, and, well. He'd be lying if he said that his heart didn't sink a little at seeing that –Ace is usually a pretty straightforward sort of guy, blunt with his intentions and open with his words, and he very genuinely _would_ like to be friends with the pretty young lady sitting across the table from him.

However, he's also a gentleman, and he knows better than to encroach on a lady's space when she's uncomfortable in his presence. Makino had made sure to get that point across to him, years and years ago, about respecting a lady's boundaries what not, and most of it stuck.

Shame, really. He hadn't thought a girl who could fight like that would be so easily… discomfited.

"Sorry," Ace apologizes, and stands to leave. "Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything; you probably don't even remember me, huh? Sorry 'bout that."

"… No."

Ace stops in his tracks. Eh? Did she just–

The girl looks down at the glass of water in her hands. "I… remember. Pocus Land. Blood Roses."

Her voice is still soft, quiet, just the same as Ace remembers it being, and the young man finds himself slowly sitting back down in his seat again. _Progress!_ "Yeah, you were there after those flowers. Blood Roses. Out of curiosity, what did you need them for? If it's not a sensitive question, I mean?"

The girl shakes her head ever so slightly. "Ingredients. Mama wanted Rose-Apple Tarts."

"… Oookay," Ace mutters, because that _totally_ answers everything. He would've understood if she was going to sell those roses or something, because those roses _would_ fetch a pretty price, but _–food?_ Honestly? _Flowers?_ He's pretty sure the girl's mother would have a heart attack if she knew where those roses in her apple tarts actually came from. "That sounds, uh. Tasty."

Goddamnit, where did all those conversational skills go when he needed them?!

Luckily, it doesn't appear like his conversational partner is particularly bothered by his rather lacking response. "Yes. The Head Chef is very skilled."

"A skilled chef, eh?" Ace thinks about it, then smirks. "I'll have you know the cook on my ship is plenty skilled, too. He's much more into cooking meats and stuff than making pastries, but he makes a mean pumpkin pie. Trade secret: He doesn't actually use pumpkin. It's all squash."

For a moment, it seems as if the girl's lips twitch upwards, but maybe that's just his imagination. "Yes. Squash is sweeter. Less stringy."

"You're in on it, too?" His expression lights up, and he grins. "Damn. And here I thought it was actually a trade secret!"

"… Mama likes sweets." Her eyes drop to the table. "So, more or less, we all know a few things about making sweets."

A full sentence! Ace resists the urge to pump his fist in victory. "… Wait, 'we?'"

The girl nods, "My siblings."

"Siblings, huh…" For a moment, his voice is colored by nostalgia. _Sabo. Luffy._ Ace shakes his head, but there's no stopping the fond smile that stretches across his lips. "I've got siblings, too. Well, a brother. Means the entire world and more, right?"

Across from him, the pinkette cocks her head. "… I do not understand."

Ace blinks. "What's not to understand? _Siblings,_ right? Sure they get irritating and annoying at times, but –how could they ever mean anything less?"

"Perhaps." Her voice still says that she very clearly does not understand, which doesn't make any _sense,_ but before Ace can pursue the subject any further and get to know his new friend better, the girl flicks her gaze to somewhere over his shoulder behind him. "Hello, brother. You're late."

"Yeah, yeah, _yeah._ Laugh it up, little sister." The new voice that cuts in between them is low, smooth. "You're not the one who had to sail through a giant thunderstorm to get here."

Ace tosses a quick glance backwards in what he hopes is a casual gesture, because he really, really hopes that the other guy doesn't have any misunderstandings about an innocent conversation of two friends getting to know each other –and freezes.

Holy _shit_ he does NOT see the family resemblance here.

The girl sitting across from him? Gray-pink hair, pale skin, _delicate_ in appearance in a way that's almost doll-like, and it's nearly the complete opposite of this _hulking_ dark-haired man looming behind them. There's a severe sort of expression etched into his face, framed with a bristling beard, and his entire body is weighed down with a strange sort of armor that looks like it's made of… crackers?

… The hell?

Okay, what is _up_ with people in the New World, honestly? At least Paradise made sense… most of the time…

(Must be something about the Grand Line that fucks with people, what the fuck–)

"Who's this?" Ace most certainly does _not_ flinch as he suddenly finds himself to be the center of the towering man's attention. After a heartbeat of heavy, judgmental silence, the other man snorts, and it's a distinctively derisive sound that Ace _does not like._ "… Alright, I _know_ that Galette's been hounding after you to loosen up, but finding yourself a boy-toy is a little–"

_"Not a boy-toy here."_ Ace narrows his eyes. The other man clucks his tongue, wholly unconcerned.

"And fiery, too. He's going to be trouble one day, mark my words." The cracker-man draws back, raising himself to his full height, and nearly takes out the entire ceiling with his casual motion. "I'd say this qualifies as bad taste, little sister, but to each their own, I guess."

Ace grinds his jaw. "I'll show you _fiery–"_

Flames burst into existence and fan explosively around his body, a burning circle that's more intimidation and show than anything else. Already, people are making a beeline for the exit of the bar. Good. Ace doesn't really _want_ to get into a violent encounter with his new friend's brother, but the man's proving himself to be a dab hand at setting off his temper.

"… _Fire?_ No, you're…" Something contemplative enters the man's voice. "Devil Fruit user. _Fire Logia._ You're that Fire-Fist Rookie who made such a ruckus in Paradise, aren't you? … Huh. Well, congrats on not dying in the New World. Yet."

_"Okay, that's it, you–"_

"That's enough." Both men give a small start at the sudden interruption and refocus their attentions on the pink-haired girl rising to her feat. Even though her physical stature is rather diminutive, particularly in comparison to that of her brother's, it does not change the _presence_ that she commands in the room. "Stop antagonizing him, brother."

"… Whatever," the other man draws back, surprisingly agreeable for such a confrontational personality. Ace blinks in surprise. "Protect your boy-toy all you want; don't think I don't know what you're doing–"

_"I AM NOT A FUCKING BOY-TOY!"_

"My, my, _temper."_ The giant cracker-armored man rolls his eyes, and Ace is _this close_ to burning him down. "You're not going to get very far like that, kid."

"And what's it to you?" Ace retorts on autopilot. Yeah, the other man's probably way out of his league at the moment, but that doesn't mean Ace has to take things lying down. That's not his way of doing things. And even if he takes this as provocation, well–

"My apologies." Her voice is still soft, quiet. The girl closes her eyes briefly. "My brother… lacks consideration when it comes to his choice of words."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it these days? I'm just calling things like I see them." The cracker-armored giant grouses, folding his arms across his chest. "C'mon, enough delays, little sister. Mama's going to be upset with us if we're late."

The girl slowly gives her brother a _look._

"… _I_ was not the one late to this rendezvous."

"Are you kidding me? There was a shitty _thunderstorm._ Extenuating circumstances, okay?"

"Well–"

_"ACE!"_

At this, all three of them turn. Not for the first time, Ace mourns his first mate's sense of timing. When people start fleeing from a certain area, it's usually a sign to _get away_ rather than _come over and investigate._ And yeah, maybe he's a little touched that his crew has come looking for him, but–

"Time to go, little sister." The cracker-man turns and breezes out the door, nearly upending the door frame of the bar in the process. "Chop, chop, let's get to it. Can't keep Mama waiting."

"… Of course." The pink-haired girl trails after her brother's footsteps, and –okay, Ace still can't really wrap his head around the fact that they're _siblings._ There's not really any family resemblance between them that he can see. Maybe they're adopted siblings? Just like him and Sabo and Luffy? That would certainly explain things–

Oh, shoot, she's almost out the door already. "W-Wait!"

The girl doesn't turn around at the sound of his voice, but she pauses. Good enough.

"Your brother's an ass, but I still owe you one!" he hollers after her. "My name's Ace; if you ever need me for anything, just look for the Spade Pirates!"

Somewhere in front of her, the older man snorts, equal parts condescension and derision. _"Rookie._ Let's get out of this godforsaken waterhole already, little sister."

Ace clenches his fists. He _knows_ there's a power gap between himself and those two, but it's not going to be like that forever. He's going to get stronger. He _will._ And maybe they don't know him, don't have any reason to believe a big-mouthed rookie, but–

Unlike last time, the pink-haired girl tilts her head back and looks at him. She doesn't say anything to him, doesn't give him anything aside from a courteous nod in acknowledgement, and then she's gone.

.

.

The third time Ace runs into the girl, he manages to repay the favor he owes her. More importantly, he finally gets her name.

"Yo! Small world, isn't it?" It's been another good several months since their last run-in at the bar. Ace has made leaps and bounds in improving his combat skills, and it _shows._ Maybe it's a little egotistical of him, but Ace freely admits that it's a damn good feeling to see the pinkette's eyes visibly widen in shock when he made his entry, fire sweeping through the air. Nothing wrong with showing off a little every now and then, right? "Fancy running into you again. Must be fate, eh?"

The girl straightens, retracting her sword from the man she'd just gutted. There is a splatter of blood marring her cheek, and she raises a hand to wipe it off. It doesn't really work, not entirely, and in the flickering light of the still-burning flames surrounding them, it adds a strangely _wild_ aura to her otherwise-placid demeanor.

Ace swallows roughly –damn adrenaline, damn hormones, _damn everything, there is a time and place for this sort of stuff, and it's not in the aftermath of a bloodbath–_ and sweeps out in a circular arc with his hands, fanning out and pressing down.

Every last flicker of flames in the local vicinity winks out.

"Hope you didn't mind me butting in here just now," he drawls casually, because even if it was pretty clear that she'd been caught in a pretty bad spot, outnumbered and outmatched but nonetheless stubbornly standing her ground, he's met more than his fair share of people out here who still cling to strange notions of _honor_ and _fairness._

(Exhibit A: Wano. Cool place, but still pretty weird in his books.)

"No. Thank you for your aid." The bloodied girl studies him for a quiet moment. "… Portgas D. Ace."

The way she says his name, the lack of the upward tilt towards the end of her words, makes it clear that it's not a question. She remembers him!

"Yeah, that's me." Ace grins, "You have me at a disadvantage, though. Can I finally get the pretty little lady's name?"

For a moment, the girl's eyes fly wide again, as if she's taken aback. Was it something he'd said? Her strangely innocent reaction to his casual words strikes a sharp contrast against the bloodstained swords in her hands and the scarlet smear on her cheek, and it's…

Ace coughs, trying his best to alleviate the sudden burst of awkwardness that crawls over him _for no goddamned reason,_ averting his eyes so he's staring at that particularly interesting lump of charcoal over there, would you look at that–

"… Charlotte Madeleine."

The young man's eyes immediately snap back to the girl standing in front of him. Is it just his imagination, or did she drift a few steps closer?

"I– uh– that's, err–"

"My name is Charlotte Madeleine," the girl repeats. "… You asked for my name, correct?"

"I– yeah. Yeah, I did." Ace somehow manages to regain control of his tongue again. "Madeleine. That's –an unusual name. Like Madeleine the Saint?"

Wait, what is he saying? What kind of conversation opener is this?

"… No, the sweet," the girl responds seriously, and Ace just wants to bury his face in his hands now. Some 'silver tongue' he is. And his first mate always liked to go on and on about how _good_ with the ladies Ace supposedly was. Clearly the guy's got a few screws loose in his head.

Madeleine doesn't stick around for long, only lingering long enough to finish whatever business she'd had in the area in the first place. Ace doesn't pry; he doesn't make a habit of poking his nose into other people's businesses without good reason. He does, however, somehow manage to convince her to meet up for a drink or two sometime –so sue him, she's one of the first people to leave an _impression_ on him in the New World, and even if her personality isn't exactly the most welcoming, Ace doesn't get the feeling that she's a bad person. A little cold, a little jaded, perhaps, but–

"You're _joking."_

"Never, captain." His scout hands a bounty poster to him. "See this, here? An entire city, _annihilated_ –and it's attributed to _Charlotte Madeleine."_

"… News aren't always accurate."

The other man snorts. "Who are you really trying to convince here, Ace? Or did you forget how we first met that girl?"

… No. How could he?

.

.

Eventually, they meet up again in another bar. It's cleaner, nicer-looking than the last one, and the beer doesn't taste like an ulcer waiting to happen, which nearly makes Ace weep in happiness. Nothing's changed between them –Ace is still the rising star of the newer generation of pirates, Madeleine is still the sleepy-eyed girl with bone-white swords at her side– but it's not quite the same as it used to be.

Ace props his chin with his hand, elbow resting on the table. "I didn't know you were a Yonkou's daughter."

The pinkette _–pink_ hair, _monstrous_ strength; how could he have ever missed the signs?– shrugs. "It's not a secret. Currently, Mama has seventy-nine children."

Ace chokes, spewing his drink across the table.

_"What?"_

"I have seventy-eight other siblings," she says, mild as milk, as if they're discussing the weather or some equally inane subject. "I'm the fifty-sixth."

Ace opens and closes his jaws. Then repeats the motion. "… How is that even possible? Actually, hold on –that guy I met back then, the giant guy with the weird biscuit armor, you mean he's _actually_ your brother?"

"Yes," Madeleine admits easily. "That's Cracker. He's the fourteenth."

Ace stares at his drink for a solid moment, then takes a long draught of it. All too soon, he finds himself staring mournfully at the empty bottom of the mug he's nursing, "… The New World is crazy, isn't it?"

The girl gives a quiet huff of laughter, "Maybe."

"Ha! There it is! _You smiled!"_ Ace slams his mug back down on the table, leaning forward –Madeleine automatically leans back, an instinctive reaction, but Ace is undeterred, a slow grin of his own spreading across his face. "Knew I could get a smile out of you sooner or later. You should do it more often."

Her expression is still carefully blank, but Ace knows the girl well enough by this point to spot the mild confusion.

"Y'know, you don't have to force yourself to be this," Ace waves his hand in the air, pulling a face. "This _perfect machine,_ or anything. You're a living, breathing person, so of course you have feelings and emotions. It's perfectly fine to _feel."_

Because that's a thing he's noticed with her. Whether it was on their first meeting, or any of the ones that came after –Madeleine is the sort of person who's very careful about her actions, except she's taken this whole thing to the point where she's locked down on nearly anything and everything that gives her _personality,_ as if that's some sort of weakness that needs to be stamped out.

"That does not concern you."

A mild burst of irritation. "Why shouldn't I be concerned? We're friends, aren't we?"

The stilted silence that follows that question speaks volumes about what the girl's impressions where on that topic.

"… Ohhh boy," Ace finally says, breaking the silence. Clearly, he has his work cut out for him. But that's okay; he's never been one to back down from a challenge.

Madeleine sets down the glass in her hands. "… I should get going. Good-bye, Ace."

"No, hang on, _wait–"_ Ace hisses in frustration, lunging across the table and– "Okay, I get it! No touching, no touching! But would you please just calm down and _listen_ to me for a moment?"

Good. At least _that_ got her attention. Good thing he's a Logia; otherwise, he would've lost a hand for grabbing her wrist just now. Great going, Ace.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, and I don't know what other people have been telling you, but it's _not a weakness_ to be human."

For a moment, he thinks that Madeleine is seriously contemplating running him through with her blade, Logia or not. Well, at least there's a temper somewhere in there, cold comfort that it is. "Experience has shown me otherwise. You do not _understand."_

"I understand enough," Ace retorts. "What, just because I didn't grow up in the New World, you think I don't know the world's a shitty place?"

Madeleine stiffens, "No. That's not what I–"

"Hang on, stop. _Stop._ Just… listen to me for a moment, okay?" the young man holds up a hand. "The world's a shitty place where shitty things happen, and it's not going to stop being a shitty place just because you've managed to turn yourself into some –some fucking _unfeeling machine._ You're a _person,_ not a _machine,_ and all you're literally going to achieve by going down that route is drive yourself crazy or end up killing yourself."

"And if I do not, what's the difference?" Madeleine shakes her head. "Only strength is afforded respect."

"Well, yes, but strength does not mean you have to make yourself into an emotionless killing machine!" Ace throws his hands up in the air. "I'm not telling you to put down your swords and pick up embroidery or something; I'm just saying you could show a little more emotion instead of keeping everything bottled-up inside you all the time!"

The girl purses her lips, and says nothing.

Ace shakes his head. "Look. If you're upset, it's okay to get angry. If you're sad, it's fine to cry. And if you're happy, it's alright to laugh. You're alive, so isn't it fine to _live?"_

"If it was just for myself… perhaps," she mutters. "But I am a Charlotte. I do not live for myself. I cannot."

It's a good thing he's managed to crack through a substantial part of her shell, somehow. Those words, they sounded almost _–despondent._

"Mama's crew… is built on family." Her explanation comes slowly, as if she's cautiously picking out which words to say. "Everyone serves to their best ability, in the areas where they are capable. I am… very good at killing."

"Fighting isn't the equivalent of killing," Ace points out carefully.

"No, not fighting. _Killing."_ Madeleine sips at the glass of water in her hands. "… I was eleven years old when I first took care of an entire city on my own. No survivors."

The flat, careless intonation might've unnerved him in the beginning, but Ace knows better than to take her words at face value now. "And how did that make you feel?"

Her eyes flicker to him. Surprise. "'Feel?'"

"Yeah," Ace nods. Has no one ever asked her this question before?

"… Nothing. I did not feel anything." Oh, for the love of– "I couldn't. Because if I did, then I wouldn't be able to do it again."

Ace freezes. The implication of those words, it's…

Across from him, the girl drinks her water as if there's nothing wrong at all with what she'd just admitted to.

"I appreciate your concern," she tells him. Perfectly normal, perfectly casual, as if she didn't just drop the mental equivalent of a bombshell on him. "But it's unnecessary. I do not wish to be discarded."

"… There's more to life than just _killing,"_ he says, desperate for some way to make her understand –and Madeleine smiles, but it's a sad little quirk of her lips more than anything else.

"Not for me."

… How did things turn out like this? He didn't– He didn't really _mean_ for this topic to even come up in the first place, but once it did… there's always been something that struck him as _wrong_ with Madeleine's _blankness,_ and he really, really wishes that she wouldn't cling to such a fragile, destructive mask. But her subdued admittance of her reasoning behind acting as such, her motives, they're not–

"… No."

"Ace? It's not–"

_"No,"_ he repeats, more firmly this time. "I'm not –I can't do it right now. But I'm going to become _strong,_ strong enough that no one can stop me, and… I'm going to show you a way out of this. The world's a shitty place, yeah, but there are still things worth living for, worth fighting for, and –and not everything has to be about killing."

What is he even saying?

Ace lifts his head and looks Madeleine directly in the eyes, desperately hoping to somehow convey his conviction, his sincerity to her, even if he's not entirely certain what it is he's feeling in this moment.

"I'll show you what the world has to offer," he tells her. "Then, you can decide for yourself what it is you want to live for, and how you want to live it. Okay?"

"… Okay."

.

.

Of course, right after he goes and runs his mouth, the world has to go and prove him wrong a few months later down the line. And yeah, maybe it was too hasty, too rash, too impulsive of him to challenge Whitebeard, the man heralded as the _Strongest,_ but–

…

"I was not aware that you intended to join Whitebeard's crew. Congratulations…?"

"Yeah, well, wasn't like I was planning on it," Ace mutters. It hasn't been long since his induction into Whitebeard's crew as one of the man's many sons, and sometimes it still feels like a trippy dream. Even though he _knows_ it isn't, wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

Madeleine tilts her head. "I thought you said you were going to kill Whitebeard?"

"… You're teasing me, aren't you?" Ace peers at her suspiciously. The girl returns his gaze passively, placidly, completely unperturbed. "Please tell me you're teasing me. Also, I can't _believe_ I outright told you what sheer stupidity I was planning and you _still_ let me run off like an idiot."

"In my defense, you were drunk."

"Hey!" the brunet straightens indignantly at the affront. "It takes a lot more than a little sip like that to get me even tipsy, I'll have you know!"

Madeleine holds his gaze for a moment, then looks away. "… Yes, I was teasing you."

"You're horrible," Ace complains, though with no real heat behind his words. "Why do I have such a terrible friend? What did I ever do to deserve this pain?"

"Everything."

Ace turns and gives her a jovial clap on the shoulder, grinning. It's a credit to the progress they've made ever since the hand-chopping incident that Madeleine only tenses for a brief moment before allowing her body to roll with the motion, swaying on her feet.

The lighthearted camaraderie doesn't last for long, however.

"… Ace. Now that you've joined Whitebeard… it would be best to end our association with each other."

"What? _Why?"_ Ace frowns, turning to fully face the girl. "Just because you're part of the Big Mom Pirates?"

"Yes," she says simply. "Because I am the _daughter_ of a _Yonkou_ who happens to be an actively hostile _enemy_ of the _captain_ you now serve."

Ace rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. What does that have to do with anything, though?"

Madeleine looks at him like he's an idiot, which is completely undeserved on his part, thank you very much. "I belong to an enemy crew. If we were ever to be in direct conflict with each other, what would you do? You cannot possibly think to meet me as a friend then."

Even as a friend, Madeleine is pretty terrifying at times. But as an enemy… Ace has only ever seen her directed at others, and Madeleine is _terrifying_ terrifying. Yet…

"Nah, I trust you," Ace grins. And this is the crux of everything, isn't it? "You're not the type of person to use our friendship to sabotage us or stab me in the back. So, we're still friends. Capisce?"

The girl sighs. "… Then, friends."

The two share a moment of companionable silence.

"You're too trusting," Madeleine frowns. "One day, you're going to get yourself killed from putting your trust in the wrong people. You're a _fool,_ Ace."

"Your fool," Ace winks roguishly. And yeah, this time he probably deserved the slap upside the head he got.

Worth it, though.

And… for all the points that she raises against the continuation of their friendship despite the enmity of their crews, Ace still counts it as a win that she came to talk things out with him. Because on some level, this means that she _wants_ to remain friends, wants to be convinced that it's still possible –by now, Ace knows Madeleine well enough to know that if she'd really _meant_ to end their association with each other, she'd do so by dropping all contact with him and make herself scarce until the time Big Mom finally sent her to kill him.

He'd certainly _like_ it if they were part of the same crew, but… just as Ace has found his family with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates, he knows that Madeleine already has her family with the Big Mom Pirates. Well, Big Mom herself is questionable, but from the bits and pieces he'd heard from Madeleine about her siblings, it's evident that they do care for each other, never mind the sheer incompetency of approximately eighty percent of the family to properly express it.

Exhibit A: Charlotte Madeleine, ladies and gentlemen.

.

.

As far as conflicts between Emperors go, it was only inevitable that the Whitebeard Pirates would clash with the Big Mom Pirates, on a much more frequent basis than with any of the other two Emperors –Shanks was a laid-back guy and usually avoided stirring up conflict if he could help it, and Kaidou was off distracted by rumors of artificial Devil Fruits somewhere. In contrast to the other two, Big Mom was much more active in the New World, and given her ravenous appetite, made it a point to gather as many lands as possible into her sphere of influence –particularly those known for producing tasty desserts or high-quality ingredients.

With some nostalgia, Ace still recalls Madeleine and the Blood Roses.

… At any rate, with her never-ending quest for tastier foods, this means that Big Mom turns her attentions towards the lands in Whitebeard's territory, from time to time. But given that those lands are under Whitebeard's protection, well. Conflict is only inevitable.

This time, Big Mom has set her sights on Storm Cloud Island, for its Cotton-Blizzard Candy. The man in charge of this expedition: Charlotte Katakuri. And Ace has heard from Madeleine how she's being trained by 'Brother Katakuri,' has heard the whispers of Katakuri being the strongest of all the Charlotte siblings, has literally listened to Madeleine admit to still being outclassed in her spars with her brother–

It's definitely a challenge that he's looking forward to.

"Try not to go too crazy," Marco mutters from somewhere off to the side. The First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates stretches, rolling his neck. "We're going there to protect the people under Whitebeard's protection, not burn the enemies _and_ the townspeople to ashes."

Ace rolls his eyes, but forces himself to sit down on his temper and listen. He's never been the younger sibling before, and being accepted into the Whitebeard Pirates' fold like this is…

(It's an experience, in more ways than one.)

"Yeah, I'll try not to get too wild out there," he grins.

Famous last words.

… Could somebody please fucking explain _why the hell_ that the _enemy commander_ makes a _beeline_ towards him the minute he catches sight of Ace using his flames?! Yeah, Ace was looking forward to pitting himself against the strongest of the Charlotte siblings to see how well he matched up against the top-class fighters in the New World, but _not like this goddamnit!_

At least the enemy's command structure is pretty much shit now, small comfort that it is. If Ace weren't a Logia, he'd have died at _least_ thirty-one times already against Charlotte Katakuri–

Okay, fine, thirty-two, yeesh–

"Hang in there, Ace!" Marco calls from somewhere across the other side of the battlefield, and Ace grits his teeth. Okay. He can do this. He is _not_ going to die here. "I'll be over there in a moment, just as soon as I–"

_"Stay out of it, Phoenix!"_ The towering man currently kicking his ass seven ways to Sunday _snarls,_ his expression still just as darkly thunderous as the first time he 'killed' Ace. _"You._ What are your intentions toward my little sister?"

Ace's jaw drops as he splutters ineffectually, and then he's 'killed' another two times in quick succession. Thank goodness his body automatically shifts into flames to neutralize what would otherwise be lethal wounds…

… Wait, did Marco just abruptly turn a complete one-eighty in the air, and instead start attacking the biscuit man instead of coming to his aid?

_Traitor!_

"I– I don't understand what you're–"

He'd thought it would be impossible by this point, but the man's expression darkens even further. _"You don't plan to take responsibility?"_

Okay, now that's just–

To the side, someone suddenly starts having a coughing fit, and are nearly skewered for it. Bastard would certainly deserve it, that's for sure.

Ace clenches his jaw. "I have nothing to fucking take responsibility for! The hell are you–"

_… Ow._

The young man pulls himself out from the fucking _crater_ he'd made with a groan. He hadn't even seen that _coming–_

"Madeleine deserves much better than the likes of _you,"_ Katakuri glares scornfully, and this whole thing is just getting beyond ridiculous here. "I do not understand what she sees in you, Portgas D. Ace, but consider yourself warned: Know your limitations, and stay away from my little sister from now on if you know what's good for you."

Ace flexes his fingers. "… No."

"Did you not hear me? Or perhaps, did I not strike you hard enough? I told you–"

_"GODDAMNIT, WHAT'S WITH YOU CHARLOTTES AND YOUR COMPLETE INABILITY TO LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE FINISH SAYING THINGS?!"_ Ace roars, and the entire _world_ around him pulses, shifts into a hellish, fiery inferno. _"WE! ARE! JUST! **FRIENDS!** AND IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU ANYWAYS, YOU **ASS!"**_

"Yeah, you tell him, Ace!"

_"SHUT UP, PEANUT GALLERY!"_

"…"

Ace doesn't manage to defeat Katakuri that day. And he's not quite sure how the battle ended, either –even though the entire island is liberally streaked with soot by the time the Big Mom Pirates are gone and pretty much everything has ended up destroyed, anyways, it's technically still their… victory? Maybe?

"How are you holding up, Ace?" Marco casually strolls over, and the only reason why Ace doesn't promptly roast him on sight is because the other man is carrying bandages.

"Don't even talk to me, traitor," he grouses grumpily. "… And for the record, you're an ass, too. I'm telling Pops that you threw me to the wolves when we get back."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure Pops will be very interested in what you have to say," Marco nods agreeably. Then, just to prove that he's an _utter asshole,_ "So… 'Madeleine,' is it? Charlotte Madeleine, I'm assuming?"

Ace drops his head, hitting the table in front of him with an audible _thunk._ "I hate you so much. Go die in a hole somewhere."

Marco laughs, then reaches over and ruffles his hair. Ace swats at the older man's hand, and misses by a mile. "No can do, yoi. So, how long has this been going on? Don't think we've noticed you sneaking out to meet up with a secret girlfriend. Aiming high, aren't we?"

"You can stop it with the girlfriend jibes already," Ace says, aggrieved. "We're _just friends._ I met her back when I first came to the New World, and we just sorta… stuck up a friendship after that."

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, if you don't believe what I'm saying, then _don't ask me."_

"Didn't say I didn't believe you," Marco replies absentmindedly. "Just doesn't really seem to match up with what we know of her, that's all. You _do_ know that it's pretty widely agreed upon that Madeleine is the most ruthless of Big Mom's children, right?"

"Yeah, well, people are blind," the younger man grumbles. "She's not _ruthless._ It just comes off that way since she has a good poker face. 'Sides, Madeleine wouldn't have come and tried to warn me off of from being friends after I joined you guys if she was really as ruthless as you think she is."

Marco looks at him sharply. "She visited the Moby Dick?"

Ace shakes his head. "Nah, that'd be a security breach… although she probably could, if she really wanted to. We've been meeting at some of the nearby islands 'round the borders. She said that we should stop 'associating with each other' since Whitebeard and Big Mom are enemies. I told her it didn't matter."

Marco stares at him for a moment. Then, bafflingly enough, he _smiles._ "Guess you really can't trust the rumors then, eh? Sounds like she's a nice girl, if she's up to dealing with your idiocy like that. Y'know, you should bring her around the Moby Dick sometime."

_"Hey!"_

.

.

Madeleine frowns, thoughtful. "He wants to… meet me?"

"Not just Marco, but also the rest of the entire damn crew," Ace admits from where he's already preemptively buried his face into his hands, because this has long passed the point of being annoying and is diving straight into _embarrassing._ "I know we're not dating or anything, but since you've been visiting pretty often, they're still… curious, I guess, so consider this a standing invitation to drop by the Moby Dick sometime. Speaking of which, why does your brother think I'm dating you?"

The girl shrugs, "No idea."

"Great," Ace groans, leaning back and falling down against the sand. "… I'm going to get pulverized again next time, aren't I?"

"I thought you would've enjoyed it?" Madeleine cocks her head owlishly, and he'd call it an impish expression on anyone else but her. "Brother Katakuri is very strong."

"Yeah, well, _not like this,"_ the young man grumbles. "This is just _humiliating."_

"… Being seen as romantically involved with me is humiliating?"

_"No!"_ Ace yelps, jolting back up. Foot, meet mouth. Shit. "Well, yes, but that's on me, not you, 'cuz you're a great person and any guy would be lucky to– I mean, _no,_ I… I…"

What is he even saying?!

Ace scrubs his face, struggling to find his words again. "Look, I just… it's nothing wrong with you, okay? This entire situation is just pretty awkward to deal with. Because we're not _involved_ with each other like that, we're just _–friends._ Why is it so hard for people to see that?"

"Well, maybe if you'd stop _sneaking off_ to meet up with your girl away from everyone else, then people would stop getting the 'wrong idea.'"

Madeleine stiffens slightly, but Ace whirls around at the sudden quip that interjects itself between them. _"Thatch!_ What are you–"

"Hi there, little lady," the other man completely ignores Ace, greeting the Yonkou's daughter with a breezy smile, pompadour bobbing lightly in the wind. But for all the friendliness that he outwardly projects, Ace would have to be blind to miss that subtle undercurrent of tension in his body. "My name's Thatch. Don't think we've ever met before."

"… Charlotte Madeleine." The pink-haired girl eyes the new arrival warily. Which is only reasonable, considering her position, and Ace shifts a few steps closer to her, hoping to get her to calm down –shit. Thatch just _smiled._ He's never going to hear the end of this now.

"So…" For once, it's Madeleine who breaks the silence. But– "Are you the representative, or is everyone hiding behind the tree-line over there going to come over, too?"

"WHAT?!" Ace scowls. Okay, he can understand if he slipped up today and it's just Thatch who tailed him here, but if it's the _entire goddamned crew_ who have no concept of what privacy is, he's going to–

_"Gurararara!_ Your friend's a sharp one, isn't she, son?"

… Oh man. Pops is here, too?

Madeleine falls quiet for a moment, then turns and pins him with a flat, unamused look. "I thought you told me to drop by the Moby Dick to meet your family some other time."

"That's what they told me! I didn't they were going to pull _this!"_ Ace gestures indignantly at all the pirates coming out of their hidey-holes. Fuck, there's a lot of them.

"So, you're that daughter of Linlin's I've been hearing so much about?" Madeleine isn't a particularly tall person, and standing in Pops' shadow like that –she's completely _dwarfed._ Ace tries to stand beside her, solidarity and moral support and what not, but ends up getting dragged away by Marco.

"What are you guys _doing?!"_

"Just leave the vetting process to Pops, yoi," is all Marco says in response, which makes _no sense at all._ Ace scowls.

"… You guys better not do anything weird to her," he finally gives in and grumbles. Even if he can't really tell what they're trying to do, he still knows that his family _means_ well. They won't hurt Madeleine, not when Ace has already made it clear that he considers the girl a good friend.

Marco pauses. "You really do care about her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah?" Ace blinks. Isn't that a pretty obvious question? "She's my friend."

"No, I don't mean like _that."_ The blond reaches up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "… God save me from oblivious blockheads. _Please_ tell me I don't have to do all the heavy lifting here."

Ace glares. "Okay, what the hell are you going on about? Spill."

Marco groans, and it's an acutely _pained_ sound. "What did I ever do to deserve this? …Here, let's try things this way: That friend of yours, Madeleine. Her hair color's pretty weird, isn't it?"

"What?" It takes Ace a moment to wrap his mind around the sharp turn the conversation had just taken. "No, how is pink any weirder than that bleached monstrosity you have going on there?"

The First Division Commander gives him a dry, withering look; one that tells Ace he's definitely going to regret this reflexive retort later. "Fine, then. Different angle: She's rather plain-looking, isn't she?"

"You're kidding, right?" Ace drops flatly. "Yeah, Madeleine's not Boa Hancock or anything, but she's still _–hold it right there._ What are you trying to do, Marco?"

"Oh, for the love of…" The long-suffering man tilts his head back and looks up at the sky. "Ace. Are you positively, one-hundred percent _sure_ that you have no other feelings aside from _'friendship'_ for the pretty girl who you've been meeting on the sly for the past year, who's apparently willing to risk her neck for you and look out for your best interests, and probably also strong enough to break you in half with her bare hands?"

Ace opens his mouth, then closes it. Not a single word comes out from his throat, because when Marco lays it out like _that…_

"… I think I need to sit down for a moment," he says faintly.

"Yeah, there we go," Marco nods sagely from the side, then leans over and pats him on the shoulder. "I thought that might be the case. You're doomed, yoi."

He's not… he's never thought of Madeleine in any context other than _friend,_ even though he's always been well aware of her strengths. Part of the reason why he wanted to be friends in the first place, honestly. And, well, it doesn't hurt things that she's _pretty,_ even if it's not something he's ever focused on–

Damn it. Things are awkward enough already, with his entire family under the mistaken impression that he's dating his friend, who just so happens to also be female. He _really_ doesn't need to add 'realizing he has a crush on said friend' on top of the list.

"Doomed," Marco repeats, patting him on the shoulder one last time, in a solemn gesture that should _not_ be as heavy as it is, then turns and waltzes off. Leaving Ace struggling to come to terms with _feelings_ on his own, because he's an ass like that, even if he's the ship's doctor.

Ace manages to shove things away in a box in a mental corner of his mind, then sets out to look for Madeleine again. Maybe they'll stop harping on him like this if he can manage to get her away for a bit?

He ends up finding her sitting across from Pops. It's a bit of a strange sight, even discounting the fact that she's technically a high-ranked member of an enemy crew.

… At least Pops seems to like her well enough.

"–so why him?"

Wait, what are they talking about?

"Ace made me a promise," Madeleine responds simply. Then, as if sensing his presence, she turns towards him and smiles. It's a small, slight thing, but undeniably genuine. "I trust him to hold it."

…

… Yeah, Marco's right. Ace is doomed.

.

.

(In one world, Big Mom is suddenly struck by a craving for Rose-Apple Tarts one day. Two people who otherwise would never have encountered each other in their lifetimes meet, become friends, and the future changes accordingly.

… But at the same time, some things still stay the same.)

.

.

_'Firefist' Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates Brought to Justice, Execution Confirmed._

.

.

"Ha! Your boy-toy went and fucked up in _Paradise_ and got himself caught by the Marines, of all things? Now that's just sad, Madeleine."

"That's _quite enough_ out of you, Cracker," Brûlée shoots her brother a pointed look. Cracker clicks his tongue, taking the silent hint, and averts his gaze, scuffing at the ground sharply with his steel-toed boot. His acerbic tongue causes no small amount of grief in the family, and usually Brûlée would just let it go because he doesn't really mean any harm by it. But really, there's a _time_ and _place_ for everything. Can't he tell that his pitiful attempt to spin the entire situation as a joke isn't helping things any here?

Brûlée turns back towards her pink-haired little sister. Madeleine still hasn't moved from her position where Praline had handed her the latest papers confirming Portgas D. Ace's execution, and the young girl's continued silence, her utter lack of reaction to it all, it's… worrying.

"… How long?"

"How long has this mess been going on?" Brûlée thinks on it for a moment. "Well, I heard he set out a couple months back to track down a traitor who spilled his own crew's blood, but you would probably know that better than me–"

"No." Madeleine looks up, eyes calm. "How long does it take to travel to Marineford from here?"

Brûlée blinks.

_… Oh._

Cracker is a lot less subtle about it; his jaw drops wide open as he _gapes_ at their little sister, the bumbling fool. "Excuse me? … You can't seriously be considering what I think you're trying to consider here, Madeleine. Are you _insane?_ We can't just go and stick our necks out for something like this! Mama will have our heads!"

"I am aware." The younger girl stands to her feet, and Brûlée suddenly realizes that –somehow, somewhere along the lines– the little thing she's always kept an eye out for and snuck extra sweets to, has grown up beautifully with a will of her own. "I will leave by myself. Rest assured that you will not be implicated in anything."

… Aaaand somehow she's still as dense as ever, the idiot.

"That's not the fucking _point!"_ At least Cracker finally has the right idea now, even if his attitude still leaves much to be desired. The man glowers, his irritation with the younger girl apparent. "What the hell do you take me for, you little shit? _Am I your brother or not?!_ Goddamnit, stop trying to shut us out all the time; accept the fact that we're trying to help! You're a complete moron if you think you can storm Marineford by yourself, without any backup."

Brûlée hides a small smile behind her hand. It's not often that she gets to see Madeleine with such an openly stunned expression on her face. The younger girl has been getting better at showing more emotion these days, and it would be a shame to see her revert to the icy shell she used to hide behind. Cracker just rolls his eyes at his little sister's hesitance, _hard._

"Not that I particularly _care_ if you want to get yourself killed or anything," he continues, because Cracker wouldn't be Cracker if he weren't forever stubbornly contrary to the end, "But if you're trying to rescue your boy-toy, you're definitely going to need to bring your own men along. Fuck, even _Whitebeard_ is bringing his entire _fleet!_ If you go in by yourself, do you really think that just one person is going to make any difference? You're going to at least want a small strike force, probably something light and mobile–"

"Cracker is correct."

"–goddamned fucking _shit!"_ All three of them jump, but Cracker is the only one who vocalizes anything. Behind them, Katakuri raises an eyebrow, clearly unamused.

"Language, brother," he reprimands, then turns his attentions towards Madeleine.

Inwardly, Brûlée bites her lip. It's no small secret among the Charlotte siblings that Katakuri is not fond of 'Firefist' Ace in the least, most undoubtedly for the same reason that Katakuri is the one who can always find Madeleine without fail, whenever the girl spontaneously puts her mind to squirreling herself away in some random corner. Katakuri does not know how to express affection, and Madeleine is even worse with it. But in the rare moments of quiet when Brûlée catches them together, Madeleine worn out from her training and quietly napping beside their brother while the man polishes his weapons beneath the shade of a candyfloss tree–

Small wonder that Katakuri always skewers Ace on the other end of his trident, whenever he catches sight of the boy.

"You wish to aid him?"

"Yes."

"Even if Mama disapproves of it?"

"… Yes."

Madeleine is obedient, near-fanatical in adherence to each and every one of Mama's orders, no matter how trivial. Or rather, was. It had taken a nasty wakeup call in the form of an outsider questioning Madeleine's motives, her convictions, in order for Brûlée to realize that her sister really _wasn't_ the cold, immovable creature of blood and death that the rumors surrounding her were painting her as. Brûlée had always known perfectly well that her sister wasn't _heartless,_ but in a similar vein, she hadn't truly realized that the other girl also _cared_ the way she did, and that's a glaring failure on Brûlée's part that she fully intends to rectify, is still working on rectifying.

What began as lighthearted espionage-eavesdropping via mirrors due to several older siblings' concern for their little sister's "date" with some unknown ruffian resulted in some very unexpected discoveries, and Brûlée is grateful to Portgas D. Ace for the favor he did them, however unknowingly.

Honestly, she'd assumed that Ace would end up joining them someday as their newest brother-in-law. His potential was _strong,_ both as a person and as the wielder of the Fire Logia's powers, and she knows Mama had been interested in acquiring Firefist as a new asset, back when he was still unaffiliated and making his way in the waters of the New World. Brûlée had done a double-take when she'd discovered that the kid had suddenly gone and joined the Whitebeard Pirates one day –and Madeleine was still as drowsy and unconcerned about everything as ever, the idiot girl.

Eventually, Brûlée has come to accept her sister's reasoning for what it is. Everyone has their own path, and just because Madeleine happens to be close with Ace, doesn't mean that he's somehow obligated to serve in Mama's crew. On the other hand, Katakuri has never quite forgiven Ace for turning and joining up with their enemies without so much as a single word of explanation for Madeleine.

Which is just as well, really. _Someone's_ got to keep the kid on his toes, before he gets too complacent.

"… I will accompany you," Katakuri finally says, and Brûlée smiles. "I will discuss this matter with Mama, and win her approval. We'll take Brûlée with us." Brûlée's smile freezes. Wait, what? She's a noncombatant! "Counter, Moscato, Amande, and Raisin, too. I do not know if we will gain permission to deploy a fleet, but–"

"Hold up, hold up," Cracker elbows his way into the conversation. "What about _me?_ Don't I get a chance to carry out my brotherly duties, too?"

Katakuri glances at him, then turns away and ignores his little brother, blatantly ignoring his indignant cry. "Brother Peros can take over my responsibilities in my absence–"

"You're even taking _Brûlée_ with you! Why not me?"

Katakuri closes his eyes, as if he's trying to stave off an incoming headache. "…Brûlée's mirror abilities might prove useful in planning an escape route. You would just stir up even more trouble for us."

Cracker crosses his arms across his chest. "No matter how you look at it, a fight's going to be inevitable. You're going to want as much firepower as you can get."

"… You're a Sweet Commander, you need to stay in the New World," Katakuri calmly lays out his reasoning in return. "Opportunistic rabble will come flocking if word gets out that two of us are both gone, and Mama doesn't need the extra trouble."

"If that's the case, then shouldn't _you_ stay while _I_ go with Madeleine?" Cracker grouses. "Everyone knows that it's just a matter of time before Mama makes Madeleine the Fifth Sweet Commander, so it's not like there's not two of us gone, anyways. 'Sides, you're the strongest of us; shouldn't you stay to hold down the fort?"

Their older brother shakes his head, "Think of the powers that will be present at Marineford. Sengoku and his Marine Admirals. The Shichibukai. Whitebeard. If I do not go –what will people think of the Big Mom Pirates?"

"… Damn."

"Why…?" To the side, it seems like Madeleine has finally found her voice again. The girl's eyes are still wide, and in this moment, she seems… unusually fragile, and something in Brûlée's heart softens. "Mama wouldn't… you know it's not… why are you doing this? None of you even _like_ Ace."

"'Course I don't, I fucking hate the uppity little brat who's too full of himself for his own good," Cracker grumbles under his breath. "Unfortunately, _you_ give a damn about whether he lives or dies, and that kind of means we have to give a damn about this, too. So stop moping, we're going to make sure that your boy-toy isn't going to get himself killed, okay?"

Although his words are still as rough as ever, his tone is unusually gentle, for once. Cracker and Madeleine have never quite been able to find a common ground for understanding each other when it comes to their relationship as siblings, but in this moment, Brûlée thinks that maybe it doesn't really matter at all.

"… Thank you," Madeleine whispers.

(Portgas D. Ace is very much unaware of how grateful Brûlée and her other siblings are to him, for helping them understand their little sister. And if they have any say about it, it's going to stay that way.)

Cracker sniffs, looking anywhere but at the little pink-haired girl in their midst, and Brûlée smirks. Oh-ho, she recognizes _embarrassment_ when she sees it!

"D-Don't be stupid, Madeleine. What else are siblings for? Now c'mon, we've got an execution to crash, and we're going to do it in style."

"If I might remind you," Katakuri interjects dryly from the side, "The 'we' here does not include you."

"… Asshole."

.

.

The sun is bright. The skies, clear. Cloudless. It's a fine day, but Brûlée is not uplifted by the good weather in the least, because it's also the planned date of Firefist's execution today, and they're running behind schedule. Their initial plan had been to travel along with Whitebeard, but the Whitebeard Fleet had mobilized a lot quicker than they'd expected them to, while they'd been in the midst of secretly making their own preparations. Wouldn't do for the Marines to catch wind of the Big Mom Pirates' arrival too, after all –they'd only managed to assemble a small fleet on such short notice, with only two goals in mind: Hit fast, and hit _hard._

"We're almost there, little sister." Empty words. It's going to take another _hour,_ at the very least, and the recordings have already started playing, the Whitebeard Pirates have long since made their entry, before someone destroyed –or deliberately switched off– the broadcasting Den Den Mushis, and it's all just nerve-wracking radio silence, now.

It was already enough that the young man her little sister was taken with was _Whitebeard's_ Second Division Commander. But to find out that he's actually the not-dead son of the late _Pirate King,_ too?!

… Mama is going to have a field day with this, oh boy…

"How much longer?"

"Fifty minutes, give or take." Katakuri comes up silently from behind, "… Madeleine?"

Their little sister is silent for a moment. "… We're not going to make it in time. But at this range… it's probably close enough."

Brûlée blinks, confused. "What? Madeleine, what are you–"

The pink-haired girl stretches out a single hand before her, fingers splayed. _"All my life has been a **dream,** and now I finally **awake."**_

The world around them _pulses,_ and it's not so much a flicker or some electrical charge or even a tidal wave as it is some… some _crack_ in the existential plane, that her little sister reaches out, grips in her hands, and _shatters,_ crushing whatever shards remain in the palm of her hand as she steps forward, and–

Chaos. Total, utter chaos.

Brûlée has never had a stomach for blood. She takes one look at the fighting, then promptly withdraws from the edge of the ship, mind still reeling, because when did her little sister become capable of _teleporting an entire fleet?!_ Was this also part of the Dream Fruit's abilities? She'd always thought it was something about imposing an illusionary Dream World over people that was limited in effect only to their minds, not something that _actually affected reality._

Katakuri frowns. "That was unnecessary, sister."

"No. It wasn't."

"You haven't fully Awakened yet. _Don't_ do that again."

Madeleine says nothing to acknowledge their brother's reprimand, disappearing from the head of the ship in an instant. Brûlée isn't good enough to track her little sister's movements, which means that she has to follow Katakuri's gaze in order to find where the hell her little sister has run off to, and if there are any mirrors conveniently nearby–

_"You're the son of the Revolutionary, Dragon, aren't you? For the heavy sins carried in your blood… I will put you out of your misery today, boy."_

A boy with a straw hat. And next to him, a young man, wreathed in flames, bruised and battered and bleeding in a way that _cannot_ be healthy –and before them, a Marine Admiral dressed in red. Right, Akainu. Brûlée knows him, the Marines' favorite attack dog. She'd known he'd be here today; all three of the Admirals are, for the sake of ensuring that Ace's execution progresses smoothly, even though it's very clearly evident that the young man's already managed to escape from his bindings on the execution stage and is well on his way to getting the hell out of here already–

He's not getting the hell out of here.

Brûlée watches, stunned, as Firefist forcibly drags his bleeding, tattered body in front of the oblivious straw hat boy, _directly in the path of that Marine Admiral's blow–_

_CLANG!_

The sound of swords, ringing loudly throughout the air. And for a single moment, it's almost as if an unnatural hush settles across the battlefield, disbelief palpable and all but tangible in the ripe, bloodstained air.

_"Who the hell are you?"_ the magma-wielding Admiral growls, and it's clear that he's _furious_ at being blocked, being denied.

Madeleine sets her jaw stubbornly, something akin to anger flashing in her eyes, and shifts her fighting stance into something more solid. "Guess."

Brûlée is so proud of how far her little baby sister has come, these days.

Katakuri takes this moment to stab his trident into the ground, and immediately, the landscape shifts. Fluid, rubbery, sticky. As the person who'd eaten the Mochi Mochi fruit, a powerful _Awakened_ Logia user, Katakuri is capable of changing the surrounding environment into his element, manipulating the combat terrain as he desires. It's a dead useful ability –emphasis on the 'dead'– and its appearance near-instantly attracts the attention of the heavy-weight players on the field.

"Apologies for the delay in our arrival," Katakuri coughs politely, unflinching even under the pressure of the intense scrutiny that he's on the receiving end of. "Mama is rather _displeased_ that her son-in-law was sentenced to death, so the Big Mom Pirates will be cooperating with the Whitebeard Pirates to rectify that mistake, effective immediately."

_"WHAT?"_

Oh, the sheer _bedlam_ that erupts from her brother's words. Brûlée resists the urge to cackle; it wouldn't be very appropriate, especially not at a time like this.

_"Th-Those are the Big Mom Pirates? Holy shit, they've got even more reinforcements–"_

_"Since when was Big Mom in cahoots with Whitebeard?! Aren't they supposed to be enemies?"_

_"T-Two of the Yonkou, teaming up together? An alliance between Big Mom and Whitebeard?"_

Yup. Sheer bedlam. Even Madeleine seems to be lost floundering between 'startled' and 'annoyed' by the announcement –and across from her, the red Admiral grits his teeth.

_"Lies!_ The Marines would know if Big Mom was allying with Whitebeard. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, _scum."_

"Portgas D. Ace is my little sister's fiancé." Katakuri sounds bored, but his eyes are sharp. "He carries the protection of not only Whitebeard's crew, but also that of the Big Mom Pirates. _You're_ the ones in over your head, Marines."

_"Gurararara!_ Well, said, boy." If there's anyone present who has the right to call _Katakuri_ of all people a boy, then it'd definitely be Whitebeard. But Brûlée is surprised, the man looks… terrible. There's even what looks to be a gaping stab wound bleeding sluggishly directly in the center of his chest, and Brûlée can't help but wonder how the Marines managed _that_ particular feat.

"Whitebeard." Katakuri doesn't dip his head, doesn't bow, but nonetheless his respect for the Strongest Man in the World still comes through. "… Portgas D. Ace will not die here today."

The proud man's face splits in a wide, bloodied grin. "Good. _Help my son get out of here."_

"He has no right giving us any orders," Brûlée grumbles, complaining under her breath. As expected, Katakuri blithely ignores her. They are, after all, here for the same goal as the Whitebeard Pirates: Save Ace from the execution stage, and help him escape. From the looks of things, Whitebeard himself is going to have a hell of a time making it back to the Moby Dick from where he's stuck in the thick of things, but that's something for the Whitebeard crew to concern themselves over.

Brûlée turns her attentions back towards her little sister. An Admiral's strength is nothing to sneeze at; Katakuri up against Akainu, she wouldn't be quite so concerned about, but Madeleine isn't quite at the same level as their brother just yet, and she's the one standing in the direct firing line of a pissed-off Admiral.

… She's doing surprisingly well, Haki-coated swords keeping the Magma Logia at bay. It's not so much her skill as it is her sheer _viciousness_ that prevents the Admiral from tearing through her defenses, a particularly violent backhand stab nearly taking out the other man's eye, if he hadn't reared back to dodge.

_"Madeleine! What in the world are you doing here?"_

Her little sister turns in the midst of battle without even skipping a beat, and _slaps_ Firefist across the face. Brûlée is _so_ proud of her little sister.

"Oi, what the hell?!"

"Ace," the girl says mildly, voice edged with reproach. "… Do you even remember what you promised me?"

Akainu comes in with lava coating his fists; Madeleine spins, counters, isn't quite fast enough –but none of it matters, because Ace finally manages to get his act together again, and covers for the girl.

"I… Of course I do!"

"In that case," Madeleine vaults over his back, gleaming swords wreathed in crimson flames, and Akainu is forced back several steps from the force of the combined blow. "You should know perfectly well that your promise to me means _nothing_ if you are not alive to see it through. Or does it really mean so little to you?"

"No! That's not–"

"Then _live!"_ Madeleine demands, her voice equal parts hurting as it is frustrated. The past few days of constant worry have not been kind to her. "And if you're going to die… then you _damn well_ better make sure that you kill me before you do, _or else I'll kill every single person you hold dear to you, no exceptions."_

… Oh gods. It's almost like watching a train wreck happen right before her eyes.

"You wouldn't do that."

Her sister smiles bitterly. "You don't know what I wouldn't do, Ace. Don't test me."

"You wouldn't do that." Strangely enough, there is nothing worked up at all in Ace's tone, despite Madeleine's threat to kill all of his loved ones. His voice is… calm. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I can't promise you that I won't die, but I _will_ promise you that I'll do my best to keep on living. Is that enough for you?"

"… No."

"Well… tough," Ace honest-to-goodness _laughs,_ and Akainu takes the momentary opening to dive in with another killing blow. Madeleine manages to intercept the brunt of it, but neither of the two come out unscathed. Her sister's body is mottled and charred from severe burns, but the way her eyes are shining –it's almost as if she doesn't feel the pain at all. "Guess I gotta work hard to redeem myself in your eyes, then, huh? … And since when did you become my fiancée, anyways?"

"Ask Katakuri. He's the one who talked Mama into this."

"… Damn."

A particularly harsh blow from the Admiral in front of them sends the duo tumbling in a heap; Madeleine is the first to scramble to her feet, which means that Akainu refocuses on her first as a threat, and reaches out with a magma-dripping hand for her throat–

–and is suddenly sent flying backwards.

Brûlée blinks. Squints. Then she turns to her side, and –yup, it's empty. Typical Katakuri.

"Don't touch my little sister," the man says. Guess that's her cue to start setting up everything for their escape route, then.

…

Somehow, despite the bloody chaos of everything that's going on here, Brûlée still thinks that everything will turn out alright.

.

.

("I _told_ you he was going to be a fucking troublesome boy-toy from the very beginning. But did you listen to me? _Nooo,_ no one ever listens to Cracker–"

"Be quiet, brother.")

.


End file.
